Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36639216›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

Background rate estimations for thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia: challenges in evaluating rare safety signals following vaccination in real time during a pandemic.

Hana Müllerová, Jennie Medin, Matthew Arnold, Hugo Gomes da Silva, Supriya Kumar, Magnus Nord, Richard Hubbard, Simon de Lusignan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 27% 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 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 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Hana MüllerováMedical Evidence, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK hana.muellerova@astrazeneca.com.ORCID 0000-0002-0949-0101
Jennie MedinMedical Evidence, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Matthew ArnoldReal World Evidence Data and Analytics, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
Hugo Gomes da SilvaVaccines and Immune Therapies, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
Supriya KumarReal World Evidence Data and Analytics, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.
Magnus NordPatient Safety, Chief Medical Office, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Richard HubbardFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Simon de LusignanNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
AstraZeneca (Brazil) · BRAstraZeneca (United Kingdom) · GBUniversity of Nottingham · GBUniversity of Oxford · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesDuring COVID-19 vaccination programmes, new safety signals have emerged for vaccines, including extremely rare cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (TTS). Background event rates before and during the pandemic are essential for contextualisation of such infrequent events. In the literature, most studies do not report an overall TTS event rate. Rather, background rates are mainly reported for subtypes of thrombotic/thromboembolic diagnoses included in the TTS clinical definition mostly by anatomical location, with reported rates for TTS subtypes varying widely. The objective of this study was to report prepandemic TTS background event rates in the general population.

methodsPrepandemic background TTS rates were generated via secondary data analysis using a cohort design in the IBM Truven MarketScan (now Merative MarketScan) US health insurance claims database, from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. Two algorithms were applied: thrombocytopaenia occurring±7 days (algorithm 1) or occurring 1 day prior to ≤14 days after the thrombotic/thromboembolic event (algorithm 2).

resultsThe study population derived from the MarketScan database analysis included approximately 9.8 million adults (aged ≥18 years; mean age 45 years, 52% females). Using this study population, prepandemic background TTS incidence was estimated as 9.8-11.1 per 100 000 person-years. Event rates were higher in males and increased with age. Similar patterns were observed with both algorithms.

conclusionsThis study presents an estimate of aggregate prepandemic background TTS event rates including by type of thrombosis/thromboembolism and age group. The background event rates are dependent on the precision of capturing underlying TTS events in variable data sources, and the ability of electronic health records or insurance claims databases to reflect the TTS clinical definition. Differences between reported event rates demonstrate that estimating background event rates for rare, unprecedented safety events is methodologically challenging.

Indexed as

AnemiaCOVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesThrombocytopeniaThromboembolismThrombosisAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsVaccinationCOVID-19 VaccinesAdverse eventsCOVID-19EPIDEMIOLOGYInfection control

Identifiers

PMID36639216
PMCPMC9842598
OpenAlexW4316036344

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.