Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30065350›Full record

ArticleSpinal cord2018

Prescription drug claims following a traumatic spinal cord injury for older adults: a retrospective population-based study in Ontario, Canada.

Sara J T Guilcher, Mary-Ellen Hogan, Andrew Calzavara, Sander L Hitzig, Tejal Patel, Tanya Packer, Aisha K Lofters

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Spinal cord, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Guideline
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Observational
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.

Sara J T GuilcherLeslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. sara.guilcher@utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9552-9139
Mary-Ellen HoganLeslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Andrew CalzavaraInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sander L HitzigRehabilitation Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Tejal PatelMichael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3002-8306
Tanya PackerSchool of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Aisha K LoftersInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7322-0894
University of Toronto · CADalhousie University · CAInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences · CASt. Michael's Hospital · CASunnybrook Health Science Centre · CAUniversity of Waterloo · CA

Funding

Connaught Fund No NumberCraig H. Neilsen Foundation 441259
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective cohort study.

objectivesThe objectives for this study were to examine the prevalence of polypharmacy for people with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) following injury and to determine risk factors.

settingOntario, Canada

methodsWe used provincial-level administrative health services data of publicly funded healthcare encounters housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario. We examined prescription medications dispensed over a 1 year period post injury for persons 66+ years with an index traumatic SCI between 2004 and 2014. Polypharmacy was defined as being on 10 or more drug classes. Descriptive and analytical statistics were conducted. Relative risks and 95% confidence limits for factors related to polypharmacy were calculated using a robust Poisson multivariate regression model.

resultsWe identified 418 cases of persons with traumatic SCI during the observation window. A total of 233 patients (56%) were taking at least 10 drug classes in the year following discharge from care for traumatic SCI. The mean number of drug classes taken post injury was 11 (SD = 6). Continuity of care was significantly associated with polypharmacy, with a higher continuity of care (having at least 75% of visits with the same doctor) reducing the risk of polypharmacy. The most common drugs prescribed were laxatives, opioids and cardiovascular-related drugs.

conclusionFindings suggest that polypharmacy is extensive among older adults with traumatic SCI. Persons with better continuity of care are less likely to have polypharmacy compared to those with less continuity. SPONSORSHIP: This project was funded by a Connaught New Investigator Award (University of Toronto), and the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Psychosocial Research Pilot Grant (Grant #441259).

Indexed as

Drug PrescriptionsAgedFemaleHumansMaleOntarioPolypharmacyPrevalenceRetrospective StudiesSpinal Cord Injuries

Identifiers

PMID30065350
PMCPMC6218396
OpenAlexW2885168572

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.