Media attention regarding sudden cardiac death associated with domperidone use does not affect in hospital ECG recording. Issue 11 (19th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berger, Florine; Saâïd, Selma; van Gelder, Teun; Stricker, Bruno; Becker, Matthijs; van den Bemt, Patricia
• Is Part Of: Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. Volume 26:Issue 11(2017)
• Page Start: 1418
• Page End: 1424
• Publication Date: 2017-09-19
• Subjects: domperidone -- ECG monitoring -- media hype -- pharmacoepidemiology -- QT prolongation -- regulatory warnings -- sudden cardiac death; Pharmacoepidemiology -- Periodicals; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; 615.705
• DOI: 10.1002/pds.4321
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1053-8569

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: In March 2013, regulatory warnings concerning the potential risks of domperidone caused considerable media attention in the Netherlands. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of regulatory warnings and the resulting media hype on the frequency of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring of inpatients using domperidone. We also studied the effect on the frequency of prescribing domperidone by physicians. Methods: A 2‐centre, observational, retrospective cohort study was performed. Inpatients using domperidone in 2 hospitals in the Netherlands during a period of 384 days before and after the media hype were included. The main outcomes were (1) the proportion of domperidone users with ECGs before and/or during domperidone treatment, (2) the proportion of patients with an ECG before and during treatment, and (3) the proportion of patients with an ECG during treatment. Secondary outcome was the proportion of domperidone prescriptions comparing the before‐ and after‐period. Results: Four hundred twenty‐eight patients were included. The main outcomes [respectively (1) relative risk (RR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85‐1.21; (2) RR 1.06, 95% CI, 0.60‐1.85; and (3) RR 1.27, 95% CI, 0.80‐2.01) were not different. After stratifying for hospital, no significant differences were found. A statistically significant decrease (RR 0.40, 95% CI, 0.35‐0.45) in numbers of prescriptions was found for the university medical centre only. Conclusions: No effect of the media hype was found on the intensity of ECG monitoring in domperidone users. In the university medical centre, domperidone prescriptions were reduced.