Polypharmacy among adult and older adult users of primary care services delivered through the Unified Health System in Minas Gerais, Brazil

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) among adults and to analyze related factors.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with 1,159 interviewees distributed across 104 cities and 253 primary healthcare services delivered through the Brazilian Unified Health System. Polypharmacy-related factors were identified using logistic regression model.

RESULTS

949 (81.8%) interviewees were using at least one medication and were included in this analysis. The prevalence of polypharmacy among them was 13.7% (95%CI:11.7-16.0%) in the general population and 33.3%(95%CI:26.1-41.4%) in older adults(≥65 years). Polypharmacy was positively associated with age (45 to 64 years, OR=2.02; 95%CI:1.03-3.94; ≥65 years, OR=4.17; 95%CI:1.92-9.17) and the following chronic diseases: stroke (OR=4.20; 95%CI:1.53-11.55); diabetes mellitus (OR=4.03; 95%CI:2.43-6.68); heart disease (OR=3.18; 95%CI:1.92-5.29); depression (OR=2.85; 95%CI:1.80-4.53); hypertension (OR=2.13; 95%CI:1.17-3.86); and dyslipidemia (OR=1.73; 95%CI:1.07-2.80).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that polypharmacy is a real concern in primary health care and affects older and middle-aged adults alike. Groups of patients that are more likely to experience polypharmacy were identified. Our findings emphasize the relevance of an appropriate approach to polypharmacy driven by aging and multimorbidity.

Sixteen-Year Cohort of Liver Transplantation in the National Health System in Brazil: Analysis of Immunosuppression Maintenance Therapies

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate factors related to liver graft survival with a focus on immunosuppressive schemes based on calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus or cyclosporine).

METHODOLOGY

This study was carried out through an open cohort constructed by deterministic and probabilistic matching through three databases of the SUS with assessment of liver graft survival from 2000 to 2015 in Brazil. From this first cohort, a second cohort was constructed by pairing 1: 1 to more precisely assess the effect of the immunosuppressive scheme on graft survival. The Kaplan-Meier method and was used to estimate the probability of survival. Cox's model of proportional risks was used to assess factors related to graft loss.

RESULT

We found 12,687 patients in the Full cohort and 470 patients in the Matched cohort. The overall graft survival rates at 1, 5, 10, and 16 years were 72.6, 63.3, 52.8, and 45.3%, respectively. Patients younger had a longer graft survival than older ones. In the Full cohort, male patients had a higher survival rate than female ones. Therapeutic schemes based on tacrolimus were more prevalent and had a better survival rate when compared to schemes that used cyclosporine. Tacrolimus without association with antiproliferative agents or rapamycin inhibitors was the therapeutic scheme associated with greater survival rate in both cohorts (HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.72-0.91), (HR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.30-0.85). In addition, white-skinned patients had longer survival rate in both cohorts (HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.50-0.61 and HR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.34-0.75). On the other hand, patients who a greater time ratio without using an immunosuppressant had lower graft survival rate (HR = 6.46, 95% CI = 5.05-8.27 and HR = 6.57, 95% CI = 2.66-16.22).

CONCLUSION

This 16-year cohort showed that the older age and the greater time ratio without using an immunosuppressant are risk factors for liver graft loss. White-skinned patients and tacrolimus-based regimens, especially tacrolimus without other immunosuppressants, are factors of better prognosis to the graft.

Building the National Database of Health Centred on the Individual: Administrative and Epidemiological Record Linkage - Brazil, 2000-2015

Introduction

In Brazil, the National Health System (SUS) provides healthcare to the public. The system has multiple administrative databases; the major databases record hospital (SIH) and outpatient (SIA) procedures. Epidemiological information is collected for all populations in subsystems, such as mortality (SIM), live births (SINASC) and diseases of compulsory declaration (SINAN). Each subsystem has its own information system, which is able to provide information about consultations, clinical information and medicines dispensed. However, these systems are not linked, thereby preventing individual-centred analysis.

Objective

To describe the methods and results of parameter setting that are needed to execute the probabilistic deduplication of large administrative and epidemiological databases in Brazil and to create a National Health Database Centred on the individual.

Methods

This paper shows the results of a record linkage model to integrate data from SIH, SIA, SIM, and SINAN, which have different formats and attributes between them and over time. These data consist of 1.3 billion records from 2000-2015. Probabilistic and deterministic record linkages were used to deduplicate these data. The Kappa statistic and clerical review were used to ensure the quality of the linkage. The graph algorithm and depth-first search were used to generate the identifiers.

Results

The deterministic deduplication process resulted in a database with 403,113,527 possible unique individuals. After the probabilistic deduplication process of the former database was performed, 159,703,805 unique individuals were identified. This result had an estimated a false positive error rate of 3.3%, and the false negative error was estimated at 12.3%.

Conclusions

The National Health Database centred on the individual was generated and will allow researchers to use real-world evidence to conduct clinical, epidemiological, economic and other studies. This database represents a significant cohort, spanning 15 years of historical data and preserving patient privacy. The success of the process described will allow repeating and appending the data for future years and enable important studies to promote SUS efficiency and provide better treatments for patients.

Profile of patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing treatment with anti-TNF agents in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS), Belo Horizonte - MG

The aim of this study was to describe the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics as well as the functional status of a prospective cohort of patients with rheumatic diseases assisted by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS). Data for 302 patients receiving tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors (anti-TNF agents) was collected through a standard form. Among patients, 229 (75.8%) were female and 155 (51.3%) were Caucasian; the mean age was 50.3 ± 12.8 years, and the mean disease duration was 9.9 ± 8.7 years. Among them 214 patients (70.9%) received adalimumab, 72 (23.8%) etanercept, and 16 (5.3%) infliximab. Mean Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) was 1.37 ± 0.67 for all participants. Poor functional response was associated with female gender, married patients and with a score of < 0.6 on the EuroQoL-5 dimensions (EQ-5D). Significant correlation was found between the HAQ-DI values, disease activity and quality of life (QOL). The results obtained in this study contribute to a better understanding of the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with rheumatic diseases at the beginning of anti-TNF-agent treatment by SUS. Furthermore, our findings are consistent with another Brazilian and foreign cross-sectional investigations. This knowledge can be of great importance for further studies evaluating the effectiveness of biological agents, as well as, to contribute to improve the well-being of the patients with rheumatic diseases.

Poorer functionality is related to better quality of life response following the use of biological drugs: 6-month outcomes in a prospective cohort from the Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde), Minas Gerais, Brazil

We aim to analyze factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) response of individuals with rheumatic diseases treated by the Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde) with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). Data from 428 patients using bDMARDs were collected using a standardized form at baseline and 6 months after the onset of treatment. The average reduction of the scores on EuroQol-five dimension was 0.11 ± 0.18 6 months after the onset of treatment with bDMARDs, denoting significant improvement of the participants' QOL. All the investigated types of disease exhibited significant improvement at the 6-month assessment, without any difference among them (p = 0.965). The participants with baseline poorest functionality and best QOL exhibited the best QOL outcomes after 6 months of treatment. Our study showed that the use of biological drugs induced considerable improvement in the participants' QOL.

Drug-drug interactions associated with length of stay and cost of hospitalization

PURPOSE

To evaluate the prevalence of drug-drug interactions (DDI) in prescriptions of hospitalized patients and to identify risk factors associated.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of prescription data and medical records from a public hospital in Brazil was conducted to identify potential DDI. An inappropriate drug combination was identified and classified with a standard drug interaction source. The main diagnoses were classified with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Sex, age, polypharmacy and length of stay, among other variables, were correlated with the frequency of potential DDI.

RESULTS

The study included 589 patients and 3,585 prescriptions. Thirty-seven percent of the patients were exposed to at least one potential interaction during their stay in the hospital. The most frequent interacting pair was Digoxin+Furosemide (11%). In univariate analysis, several variables were associated with DDI, including sex, age, number of prescribed drugs, length and cost of hospitalization and CCI. Multivariate analysis showed that the adjusted odds of being prescribed a potential DDI among patients in polypharmacy was almost five-fold that of patients taking less than five drugs. Further, length of stay, CCI and cost of hospitalization were independently associated with DDI.

CONCLUSION

Analysis of prescription data found that a substantial number of potential DDI were identified. Results of this study indicate that DDI is associated with number of prescribed drugs, increased duration of stay in the hospital and cost, which suggest that DDI are a significant clinical and economic problem. Potential damage to patients could be avoided.

High incidence of adverse reactions to initial antiretroviral therapy in Brazil

A concurrent prospective study was conducted from 2001 to 2003 to assess factors associated with adverse reactions among individuals initiating antiretroviral therapy at two public referral HIV/AIDS centers in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Adverse reactions were obtained from medical charts reviewed up to 12 months after the first antiretroviral prescription. Cox proportional hazard model was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses. Relative hazards (RH) were estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Among 397 charts reviewed, 377 (95.0%) had precise information on adverse reactions and initial antiretroviral treatment. Most patients received triple combination regimens including nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors. At least one adverse reaction was recorded on 34.5% (N = 130) of the medical charts (0.17 adverse reactions/100 person-day), while nausea (14.5%) and vomiting (13.1%) were the most common ones. Variables independently associated with adverse reactions were: regimens with nevirapine (RH = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.07-2.96), indinavir or indinavir/ritonavir combinations (RH = 2.05; 95% CI = 1.15-3.64), female patients (RH = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.31-2.83), 5 or more outpatient visits (RH = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.25-3.01), non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (RH = 2.38; 95% CI = 1.62-3.51), and a CD4+ count of 200 to 500 cells/mm3 (RH = 2.66; 95% CI = 1.19-5.90). An independent and negative association was also found for alcohol use (RH = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.33-0.90). Adverse reactions were substantial among participants initiating antiretroviral therapy. Specially elaborated protocols in HIV/AIDS referral centers may improve the diagnosis, management and prevention of adverse reactions, thus contributing to improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected patients.

[Utilization of prescribed drugs by HIV infected individuals: qualitative approach]

OBJECTIVE

The assessment, in its qualitative dimension, of the utilization--by HIV infected individuals--of selected prescribed drugs during the process of the search for and the obtaining of care in public health services in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

METHODS

Fifty two semi-structured interviews with patients, health care workers and non-governamental organizations volunteers were carried out and 1,079 medical records were reviewed. Data were obtained on the utilization of prescribed drugs by HIV infected individuals, whose first visit to one of the public services studied occurred between January 1989 and December 1992. Problems related to the use of anti-retroviral and/or opportunistic infection medication were identified and a qualitative description of their possible causes and consequences was commented on.

RESULTS

Refusal to use, difficulty in obtaining and in complying with the prescription were the main problems related to anti-retroviral drug use. Causes for such problems included: fear or occurrence of side effects, large number of daily capsules/pills, insufficient and/or irregular distribution of drugs by the public health services and the high cost of anti-retroviral therapy. Based on the reports, the main consequences are likely to be no or late use of anti-retroviral drugs, an increase in resistance and a worsening of the clinical course of the infection. Other problems identified were: self-medication, difficulty in obtaining medications for associated pathologies and in complying with sulfa prescription.

CONCLUSION

A better understanding of the main obstacles and difficulties experienced by the user of the services, from the moment of the prescription and throughout the treatment, may contribute to an improvement in compliance and the availability and adequate distribution of drugs.