Medication-overuse headache: A pharmacovigilance study in France.

BACKGROUND: Overusing medication for primary headaches or other medical conditions can lead to dependency and medication-overuse headache (MOH) as an adverse drug reaction (ADR). OBJECTIVES: To analyse reports of ADRs associated with MOH recorded in the French national pharmacovigilance database (FPVD). METHODS: This retrospective study selected all MOH cases reported in the FPVD from January 2000 to June 2023. A search of the High-Level Group Term "headache" was performed for drugs classified under ATC codes for the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Specific keywords were searched in report narratives to further reduce their number. Voluntary intoxication reports were excluded. Only MOH cases according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders or with a medical diagnosis of MOH were considered. RESULTS: Among the 2674 reports associated with the HLGT "headache", for 649 ATC drug codes, only 234 reports correspond to MOH, primarily notified by physicians. The median age was 45 years (IQR: 32-56), with 74.4% females and approximately 61.0% having pre-existing primary headaches. In all, 53.4% of the reports were classified as serious. Among patients, 84.2% had an isolated "headache" as the ADR. One drug was suspected in 47.4% of cases, two drugs in 29.1%, and three or more in 23.5%. In total, 473 suspected drugs, corresponding to 104 active ingredients, were involved, including analgesics (63.0%), in particular, acetaminophen-containing drugs, opioids, triptans and ergots, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (12.7%). Antiepileptics and psycholeptics were found in 6.6% and 6.1% of cases, respectively. Drug withdrawal was successful in 84.6% of drug-discontinuation cases. Warnings about MOH are mentioned in the summary of product characteristics (SmPCs) for triptans, ergots, and certain acetaminophen-containing drugs, but not other drug classes. CONCLUSIONS: Certain drug classes show a high reporting rate of MOH and caution should be exercised when prescribing these drugs. Notably, warnings about MOH must be mentioned in the SmPC of all concerned drug classes.

Kidney Function Decline and Serious Adverse Drug Reactions in Patients With CKD.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The impact of kidney function decline on serious ADR risk has been poorly investigated. We comprehensively describe ADRs and assess the relationship between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serious ADR risk. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 3,033 participants in French Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) cohort study, a nationwide sample of nephrology outpatients with moderate to advanced CKD. PREDICTORS: Demographic and biological data (including eGFR), medication prescriptions. OUTCOME: ADRs (preventable or not) were prospectively identified from hospital discharge reports, medical records, and patient interviews. Expert pharmacologists used validated tools to adjudicate ADRs. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Restricted cubic splines in fully adjusted cause-specific Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the relationship between eGFR and the risk of serious ADRs (overall and by subtype). RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 4.7 years, 360 patients experienced 488 serious ADRs. Kidney and urinary disorders (n=170) and hemorrhage (n=170) accounted for 70% of serious ADRs. The most common medications classes were antithrombotics and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. The majority of those serious ADRs were associated with hospitalization (n=467), with 32 directly or indirectly associated with death and 22 associated with a life-threatening event. More than 27% of the 488 serious ADRs were preventable or potentially preventable. The eGFR is a major risk factor for serious ADRs. The risk of acute kidney injury was 2.2% higher and risk of bleeding ADRs was 8% higher for each 1mL/min/1.73m2 lower baseline eGFR. LIMITATIONS: The results cannot be extrapolated to patients who are not being treated by a nephrologist. CONCLUSIONS: ADRs constitute a major cause of hospitalization in CKD patients for whom lower eGFR level is a major risk factor. PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have complex clinical presentations, take multiple medications, and often receive inappropriate prescriptions. Using data from a large, prospective CKD cohort, we found a high incidence of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The 2 most common serious ADRs were drug-induced acute kidney injury and bleeding. A large proportion of serious ADRs required hospital admission, and 11% led to death or were life threatening. Lower kidney function was a major risk factor for serious ADRs. Many of these serious ADRs were determined to be partly preventable through greater adherence to prescription guidelines. This report enhances our understanding of the potential toxicity of drugs taken by patients with moderate to advanced CKD. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring kidney function when prescribing drugs, particularly for high-risk medications such as antithrombotic agents.

Use of the Capture-Recapture Method to Estimate the Frequency of Community- and Hospital-Acquired Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injuries in French Databases.

Drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) can occur both in primary care (i.e., community-acquired AKI (CA-AKI)) and in hospital settings (i.e., hospital-acquired AKI (HA-AKI)). The reported prevalence of these events varies markedly from one study to another, mainly due to differences in the study design. To estimate the frequency of drug-induced AKIs (both CA-AKIs and HA-AKIs) observed in a French university hospital, we applied the capture-recapture method to 1) the French national pharmacovigilance database (FPVD) and 2) a cohort of hospitalized patients with drug-induced AKIs (documented by analyzing the French national hospital discharge database and the patients' electronic medical records). Drug-induced AKIs were determined according to the Naranjo algorithm and then categorized as CA-AKIs or HA-AKIs. A total number of 1,557 episodes of AKI were record during the study period, of them, the estimated total number of drug-induced AKIs was 593 [95% confidence interval (CI): 485-702], and the estimated prevalence was 38.1% [95%CI: 35.67-40.50]. The prevalences of HA-AKIs and CA-AKIs were similar (39.4% [36.24-42.54] and 37.4% [33.67-41.21], respectively). Only 6.1% of the drug-induced AKIs were recorded in the FPVD, and the proportions of recorded HA-AKIs and CA-AKI differed markedly (3.0% vs. 10.5%, respectively). One of the most frequently involved drug classes were antibiotics in the HA-AKI subgroup (13.0%) and antineoplastics in the CA-AKI subgroup (8.3%). Application of the capture-recapture method to two incomplete data sources can improve the ability to identify and quantify adverse drug reactions like AKIs. The frequency of drug-induced AKI is relatively high and is probably underestimated. The clinical management of an AKI might depend on where it originated.

Association between renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and COVID-19 complications.

AIMS: To describe the characteristics of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (including their long-term at-home medication use), and compare them with regard to the course of the disease. To assess the association between renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs) and disease progression and critical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: All consecutive hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a university hospital in Amiens (France) were included in this study. The primary composite endpoint was admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) or death before ICU admission. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with the composite endpoint. Between 28 February 2020 and 30 March 2020, a total of 499 local patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 231 were not hospitalized {males 33%; median [interquartile range (IQR)] age: 44 (32-54)}, and 268 were hospitalized [males 58%; median (IQR) age: 73 (61-84)]. A total of 116 patients met the primary endpoint: 47 died before ICU admission, and 69 were admitted to the ICU. Patients meeting the primary endpoint were more likely than patients not meeting the primary endpoint to have coronary heart disease and to have been taking RASIs; however, the two subsets of patients did not differ with regard to median age. After adjustment for other associated variables, the risk of meeting the composite endpoint was 1.73 times higher (odds ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.02-2.93) in patients treated at baseline with a RASI than in patients not treated with this drug class. This association was confirmed when the analysis was restricted to patients treated with antihypertensive agents. CONCLUSIONS: We highlighted a potential safety signal for RASIs, the long-term use of which was independently associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19 and a poor outcome. Due to the widespread use of this important drug class, formal proof based on clinical trials is needed to better understand the association between RASIs and complications of COVID-19.

Adverse Drug Reactions in Patients with CKD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the burden of adverse drug reactions in CKD. We estimated the incidence of overall and serious adverse drug reactions and assessed the probability of causation, preventability, and factors associated with adverse drug reactions in patients seen by nephrologists. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: The Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network cohort included 3033 outpatients (65% men) with CKD and eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, with follow-up for 2 years. Adverse drug reactions were identified from hospitalization reports, medical records, and participant interviews and finally assessed for causality, preventability, and immediate therapeutic management by experts in pharmacology. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) age was 69 (60-76) years old; 55% had eGFR≥30 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and 45% had eGFR<30 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Participants were prescribed a median (range) of eight (five to ten) drugs. Over 2 years, 536 patients had 751 adverse drug reactions, 150 (in 125 participants) classified as serious, for rates of 14.4 (95% confidence interval, 12.6 to 16.5) and 2.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 4.3) per 100 person-years, respectively. Among the serious adverse drug reactions, 32% were considered preventable or potentially preventable; 16 caused death, directly or indirectly. Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (15%), antithrombotic agents (14%), and diuretics (10%) were the drugs to which the most adverse drug reactions were imputed, but antithrombotic agents caused 34% of serious adverse drug reactions. The drug was discontinued in 71% of cases, at least temporarily. Adjusted hazard ratios for serious adverse drug reaction were significantly higher in patients with eGFR<30 versus ≥30 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 2.6), in those prescribed more than ten versus less than five medications (2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 5.2), or in those with poor versus good adherence (1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 2.4). CONCLUSIONS: Adverse drug reactions are common and sometimes serious in patients with CKD. Many serious adverse drug reactions may be preventable. Some specific pharmacologic classes, particularly antithrombotic agents, are at risk of serious adverse drug reactions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN), NCT03381950.

The drugs that mostly frequently induce gynecomastia: A national case - noncase study.

AIMS: Drug-induced gynecomastia accounts for up to 25% of cases of gynecomastia. The objective of the present study was to provide a comprehensive overview of drug-induced gynecomastia on the basis of spontaneously reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the French national pharmacovigilance database (FPVD). METHODS: We performed a case - noncase study of drug-induced gynecomastia. Cases corresponded to reports of gynecomastia recorded in the FPVD between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2015. The noncases corresponded to all other spontaneously reported ADRs recorded in the FPVD during the same period. Data were expressed as the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and its 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of the 255,354 ADRs recorded in the FPVD between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2015, 327 (0.31%) of relevant cases of gynecomastia and 106,800 noncases were analyzed. The RORs were statistically significant for 54 active compounds mentioned 429 times in cases of gynecomastia. A single drug was involved in 59% of cases. The most frequently implicated drug classes were antiretrovirals (23.5%), diuretics (15.5%), proton pump inhibitors (11.9%), HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (9.1%), neuroleptics and related drugs (6.5%), calcium channel blockers (6.3%), and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (4%). CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive analysis of a national pharmacovigilance database highlighted the main drug classes suspected of inducing gynecomastia. A physiopathological mechanism (a hormone imbalance with elevated estrogen levels) is known or suspected for most of the drugs involved in gynecomastia. However, we noticed a lack of harmonization in the summary of product characteristics for original vs. generic medicines.

The drugs that mostly frequently induce acute kidney injury: a case - noncase study of a pharmacovigilance database.

AIMS: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a high hospitalization rate, accelerated long-term decline in kidney function and a high mortality rate. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) constitute one of the most important modifiable factors in the context of AKI. Most studies of drug-induced AKI have focused on a sole drug class. The objective of the present study was to establish a comprehensive overview of drug-induced AKI on the basis of spontaneously reported ADRs in the French national pharmacovigilance database (FPVD). METHODS: We performed a case-noncase study of drug-induced AKI. Cases corresponded to the reports of AKI recorded in the FPVD between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015. The noncases corresponded to all other spontaneously reported ADRs (excluding AKI) recorded in the FPVD during the same period. Data were expressed as the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and the 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of the 38 782 ADRs recorded in the FPVD during the study period, 3.2% were classified as cases of AKI. A total of 1254 patients experienced AKI (males: 55%; mean age ± standard deviation: 68.7 ± 15.0 years). Overall, 15.2% of the patients required renal replacement therapy. Two or more concomitantly administered drugs were involved in 66% of the cases of AKI. The most frequently implicated drug classes were antibacterial agents for systemic use (29.5%), diuretics (18.5%), agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system (16.3%), antineoplastic agents (10.2%) and anti-inflammatory agents (5.4%). Gentamicin, eplerenone, spironolactone, candesartan, cisplatin and acyclovir had the highest RORs (>10). CONCLUSION: A comprehensive study of a national pharmacovigilance database enabled us to identify the drug classes that most frequently induced AKI. Even though most of the identified drugs were already known to induce AKI, the present work should raise physicians' awareness of the compounds responsible for triggering this potentially life-threatening condition.

Adaptation and validation of an adverse drug reaction preventability score for bleeding due to vitamin K antagonists.

Although drug therapy is inherently associated with the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), some of these events are preventable. The estimated proportion of preventable ADRs varies from one study or clinical context to another. Bleeding caused by antithrombotic agents (and particularly vitamin K antagonists, VKAs) constitutes one of the most frequent causes of ADR-related hospitalization.Hence, the objective of the present study was to adapt and validate an ADR preventability score for bleeding due to VKAs and evaluate the preventability of bleeding in 906 consecutive hospitalized, VKA-treated adult patients with a risk of major bleeding (defined as an international normalized ratio ≥5) over a 2-year period. A specific preventability scale for VKA-associated bleeding was developed by adapting a published tool.Overall, 241 of the 906 patients in the study experienced at least 1 VKA-associated bleeding event. The scale's reliability was tested by 2 different evaluators. The inter-rater reliability (evaluated by calculation of Cohen's kappa) ranged from "good" to "excellent." Lastly, the validated scale was used to assess the preventability of the VKA-associated bleeding. We estimated that bleeding was preventable or potentially preventable in 109 of the 241 affected patients (45.2%).We have developed a useful, reliable tool for evaluating the preventability of VKA-associated bleeding. Application of the scale in a prospective study revealed that a high proportion of VKA-associated bleeding events in hospitalized, at-risk adult patients were preventable or potentially preventable.

Risk Factors for Bleeding in Hospitalized at Risk Patients With an INR of 5 or More Treated With Vitamin K Antagonists.

Various predictive scores for vitamin K antagonist (VKA)-related bleeding have been developed and validated in outpatients and in patients treated for specific indications (when VKAs are used under optimal therapeutic conditions). However, there are few published data on the evaluation of bleeding risk factors in hospitalized, at-risk patients (with a high international normalized ratio [INR]) treated with VKAs. The objective of the present study was to identify the most relevant bleeding risk factors in 906 VKA-treated patients with an INR of 5 or more hospitalized in a French university medical center.Over a 2-year period, we screened all consecutive VKA-treated adults with a risk of major bleeding (defined as an INR ≥ 5 on admission). Demographic and clinical characteristics, medications, and bleeding characteristics were recorded prospectively.The overall incidence of bleeding was 26.6% (serious bleeding: 21.4%; fatal bleeding: 5.4%). An INR ≥ 8.5, a history of recent digestive tract lesions, trauma in the preceding 2 weeks, and known noncompliance were independent risk factors for bleeding and serious bleeding.Our present findings emphasize that VKAs should not be prescribed to patients with a high risk of bleeding (noncompliant patients and those with recent trauma or recent gastrointestinal lesions). It is essential to monitor the INR on a frequent basis and adjust oral anticoagulant treatment appropriately.

Ulceration of the oral mucosa following direct contact with ferrous sulfate in elderly patients: a case report and a review of the French National Pharmacovigilance Database.

OBJECTIVE: To report a series of cases of ulceration of the oral mucosa linked to direct contact with ferrous sulfate in elderly patients. CASE SUMMARY: The first case report concerns the occurrence of widespread oral ulceration in an 87-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease. The ulceration extended from the side of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. No clear explanation was found and various local treatments were ineffective. Once it was realized that the ferrous sulfate tablets (given as an iron supplement) were crushed prior to administration (due to the patient's deglutition disorder), withdrawal of this treatment led to rapid resolution of the ulceration. Nine other cases of oral ulcerations associated with ferrous sulfate were identified in the French National Pharmacovigilance Database. All but one of the patients were over 80 years of age and the youngest patient (a 54-year-old) had dysphagia associated with facial paralysis. DISCUSSION: Only two other reports of oral ulceration due to ferrous sulfate have been published to date. Mucosal toxicity of ferrous sulfate (which is probably related to oxidative stress) has previously been reported for the hypopharynx, the esophageal lumen, and (after inhalation of a tablet) the tracheobronchial tree. CONCLUSION: The mucosal toxicity of ferrous sulfate must be taken into account when deglutition disorders are present (as in elderly patients) and appropriate pharmaceutical formulations (such as syrups) should be administered to at-risk patients. The use of iron salts other than ferrous sulfate could be considered.

[Quantification of the part allocated to the preventability of vitamin K antagonists therapy bleeding events]. / Evaluation de l'évitabilité des accidents hémorragiques sous antivitamines K.

A prospective cohort of patients with a high INR (>or=5) and being treated by vitamin K antagonists (VKA) was assessed in the Amiens University Hospital. One of the purposes of the study was to assess the preventability of the haemorrhages due to VKA. The preventability concept is not very used in France. Identifying the preventability part of a side effect of a drug needs an adapted and reliable tool. Although different methods of assessment of preventability have been developed, none of them is unquestionable. For the needs of our study, we built a scale of measure adapted from a scale of preventability already published by defining more accurately some items and by reducing the subjective part of the interpretation. We were able to confirm the relevance of our revised scale by testing it by two experts. After consensus on the conflicting data, two thirds of the severe bleedings were considered as "potentially or totally preventable". These data are in agreement with published data. Indeed the data found in the literature are concordant to consider that an important part of VKA bleedings events can be prevented by a better management of the treatment.