Skip to main content

Table 3 Medications that increase emergency hospital admissions

From: Medications that reduce emergency hospital admissions: an overview of systematic reviews and prioritisation of treatments

Author, YearID No.

Patient population

Medication treatment

Control

Patients (RCTs)

Mean agea

Outcome mean follow-upb

NNH (95% CI)

RR (95% CI)

I2%

Quality of the evidencec

Increase hospital admissions from out-patient, day-procedure, or community settings

 Baigent, 20131653a

Patients indicated for NSAID treatment

COX2-inhibitors

Placebo

88,367 (184)

Unclear

HF hospitalisation, Follow-up unclear

NNH: 3 (2 to 6)

rr: 2.28 (1.62 to 3.20)d

Unclear

Moderate

 Sampson, 20136806f

Schizophrenia

Intermittent antipsychotic therapy

Maintenance antipsychotic therapy

661 (6)

35 ± 5

Hospitalisation at 21 months

NNH: 7 (4 to 15)

RR: 1.58 (1.28 to 1.97)

19

High

 Kew, 20144004z

Moderate to severe stable COPD

Fluticasone

Placebo

16,338 (15)

64 ± 1

Pneumonia hospitalisation at 12 months

NNH: 164 (114 to 259)

RR: 1.81 (1.51 to 2.17)

0

High

  1. ID No. identification number, RCT randomised controlled trial, NNH number needed to treat to cause one emergency hospital admission, RR risk ratio, CI confidence interval, NSAID non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, COX2 Cyclooxygenase 2, HF heart failure, rr rate ratio, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  2. aMeans and standard deviations for patient ages in years. Mean of means and median ages in trials contributing to the pooled estimate. Not all included trials reported age in a form that could be averaged
  3. bMean length of follow-up across trials, unless otherwise specified. Mean of means, medians and total study durations reported in trials contributing to the pooled estimate. Not all included trials reported follow-up in a form that could be averaged. Rounded to the nearest whole month
  4. cModerate- or high-quality evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group criteria
  5. dRate ratio