Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39979942›Full record

ArticleBMC pharmacology & toxicology2025

Risk factors for gastrointestinal complications during glucocorticoid therapy in internal medicine inpatients: a real-world retrospective analysis.

Pengpeng Liu, Guangyao Li, Qinglin Yang, Kai Cao, Jiawei Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pharmacology & toxicology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Thrombotic complications of glucocorticoids and anabolic steroids.Research and practice in thrombosis and haemostasis · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
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

5 authors.

Pengpeng LiuDepartment of Pharmacy, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, 1 Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
Guangyao LiDepartment of Pharmacy, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, 1 Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
Qinglin YangDepartment of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Kai CaoBeijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Jiawei WangDepartment of Pharmacy, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, 1 Dongjiaominxiang Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China. wangjw2023@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe risk factors for gastrointestinal complications during glucocorticoid therapy in internal medicine inpatients are rarely reported. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for gastrointestinal complications in internal medicine patients using glucocorticoids.

methodsInternal medicine inpatients receiving glucocorticoid therapy from February 2023 to September 2023 were included. Gastrointestinal complications were identified by careful review of the electronic medical records of these patients. The risk factors for gastrointestinal complications during glucocorticoid therapy were analyzed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with Youden's index was used to determine the best cutoff point of the identified continuous variables.

resultsOf the 960 inpatients included, 88 had gastrointestinal complications, with the most common complications including 27 (30.7%) with abdominal discomfort, 26 (29.5%) with acid regurgitation and heartburn, and 14 (15.9%) with asymptomatic positive fecal occult blood. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥ 65 years [OR = 2.014, 95% CI (1.096, 3.703), p = 0.024], history of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) [OR = 1.810, 95% CI (1.009, 3.250), p = 0.047], history of peptic ulcer (PU) [OR = 5.636, 95% CI (1.505, 21.102), p = 0.010], maximum dose of glucocorticoids [OR = 1.003, 95% CI (1.001, 1.004), p = 0.001], and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [OR = 2.788, 95% CI (1.023, 7.597), p = 0.045] were associated with more gastrointestinal complications during glucocorticoid therapy in internal medicine inpatients. ROC curve analysis revealed that when the maximum dose of glucocorticoids was greater than 160 mg, gastrointestinal complications were more likely to occur.

conclusionsThe study shows that age ≥ 65 years, history of GERD, history of PU, maximum dose of glucocorticoids, and NSAIDs are associated with more gastrointestinal complications during glucocorticoid therapy in internal medicine inpatients. Multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, pharmacists, and nurses, should consider increased monitoring to inpatients with high-risk factors.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal DiseasesGlucocorticoidsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInpatientsInternal MedicineMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsGlucocorticoidsGastrointestinal complicationsGlucocorticoidsRisk factors

Identifiers

PMID39979942
PMCPMC11841309

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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.