Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35581527›Full record

ArticleDrugs - real world outcomes2022

Polypharmacy in Australian Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder upon Admission to a Mental Health Facility: A Retrospective Chart Review.

Rebecca Mellor, Andrew Khoo, Elise Saunders-Dow, Ella Raguz, Meng-Wong Taing, Leila Shafiee Hanjani, Chris Freeman, Darrell Crawford

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

Article in Drugs - real world outcomes, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 30% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Psychiatric exemptions at call-up and during military service: A comparative study.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2025
    Article
  8. 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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Rebecca MellorGallipoli Medical Research Foundation, Greenslopes Private Hospital, 121 Newdegate Street, Greenslopes, QLD, 4120, Australia. MellorR@ramsayhealth.com.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8198-5291
Andrew KhooToowong Private Hospital, Toowong, QLD, Australia.
Elise Saunders-DowGallipoli Medical Research Foundation, Greenslopes Private Hospital, 121 Newdegate Street, Greenslopes, QLD, 4120, Australia.
Ella RaguzGallipoli Medical Research Foundation, Greenslopes Private Hospital, 121 Newdegate Street, Greenslopes, QLD, 4120, Australia.
Meng-Wong TaingPharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE), School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
Leila Shafiee HanjaniCentre for Health Sciences Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
Chris FreemanPharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE), School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
Darrell CrawfordGallipoli Medical Research Foundation, Greenslopes Private Hospital, 121 Newdegate Street, Greenslopes, QLD, 4120, Australia.
Greenslopes Private Hospital · AUThe University of Queensland · AUToowoomba Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePolypharmacy increases the risk of adverse drug events and drug-drug interactions, and contributes to falls, hospital admissions, morbidity and mortality. Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder often have psychological and physical comorbidities, increasing the likelihood of general and psychotropic polypharmacy. This study investigates the prevalence of general and psychotropic polypharmacy in inpatient veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and illustrates potential risks associated with polypharmacy in this population.

methodsMedical records of 219 veterans admitted to a mental health facility for post-traumatic stress disorder management were retrospectively reviewed. Medication lists on admission were extracted and coded according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification classes. The prevalence of general (five or more total medications), psychotropic (two or more N-code medications), and sedative (two or more medications with sedating effects) polypharmacy and Drug Burden Index were calculated. Class combinations were reported, and associations between demographic characteristics and polypharmacy were determined.

resultsMean age was 62.5 (± 14.6) years. In addition to post-traumatic stress disorder, 90.9% had a diagnosis of at least one other psychiatric condition, and 96.8% had a diagnosis of at least one non-psychiatric medical condition. The prevalence of general polypharmacy was 76.7%, psychotropic polypharmacy was 79.9% and sedative polypharmacy was 75.3%. Drug Burden Index scores ranged from 0 to 8.2, with 66.2% of participants scoring ≥ 1.

conclusionsThis cohort of inpatient veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder had a high prevalence of general, psychotropic and sedative polypharmacy, and were at high risk for drug-related adverse events. This highlights the importance of increasing awareness of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate drug combinations, and the need for improved medication review by prescribers.

Identifiers

PMID35581527
PMCPMC9392669
OpenAlexW4280535134

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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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.