TY - JOUR
T1 - Underuse of pregnancy testing for women prescribed teratogenic medications in the emergency department
AU - Goyal, Monika K.
AU - Hersh, Adam L.
AU - Badolato, Gia
AU - Luan, Xianqun
AU - Trent, Maria
AU - Zaoutis, Theoklis
AU - Chamberlain, James M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - Objectives The objectives were to estimate the frequency of pregnancy testing in emergency department (ED) visits by reproductive-aged women administered or prescribed teratogenic medications (Food and Drug Administration categories D or X) and to determine factors associated with nonreceipt of a pregnancy test. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using 2005 through 2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data of ED visits by females ages 14 to 40 years. The number of visits was estimated where teratogenic medications were administered or prescribed and pregnancy testing was not conducted. The association of demographic and clinical factors with nonreceipt of pregnancy testing was assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results Of 39,859 sampled visits, representing an estimated 141.0 million ED visits by reproductive-aged females nationwide, 10.1 million (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.9 to 11.3 million) estimated visits were associated with administration or prescription of teratogenic medications. Of these, 22.0% (95% CI = 19.8% to 24.2%) underwent pregnancy testing. The most frequent teratogenic medications administered without pregnancy testing were benzodiazepines (52.2%; 95% CI = 31.1% to 72.7%), antibiotics (10.7%; 95% CI = 5.0% to 16.3%), and antiepileptics (7.7%; 95% CI = 0.12% to 15.5%). The most common diagnoses associated with teratogenic drug prescription without pregnancy testing were psychiatric (16.1%; 95% CI = 13.6% to 18.6%), musculoskeletal (12.7%; 95% CI = 10.8% to 14.5%), and cardiac (9.5%; 95% CI = 7.6% to 11.3%). In multivariable analyses, visits by older (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.79), non-Hispanic white females (AOR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.54 to 0.93); visits in the Northeast region (AOR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.86); and visits during which teratogenic medications were administered in the ED only (AOR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.57 to 0.97) compared to prescribed at discharge only were less likely to have pregnancy testing. Conclusions A minority of ED visits by reproductive-aged women included pregnancy testing when patients were prescribed category D or X medications. Interventions are needed to ensure that pregnancy testing occurs before women are prescribed potentially teratogenic medications, as a preventable cause of infant morbidity.
AB - Objectives The objectives were to estimate the frequency of pregnancy testing in emergency department (ED) visits by reproductive-aged women administered or prescribed teratogenic medications (Food and Drug Administration categories D or X) and to determine factors associated with nonreceipt of a pregnancy test. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using 2005 through 2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data of ED visits by females ages 14 to 40 years. The number of visits was estimated where teratogenic medications were administered or prescribed and pregnancy testing was not conducted. The association of demographic and clinical factors with nonreceipt of pregnancy testing was assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results Of 39,859 sampled visits, representing an estimated 141.0 million ED visits by reproductive-aged females nationwide, 10.1 million (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.9 to 11.3 million) estimated visits were associated with administration or prescription of teratogenic medications. Of these, 22.0% (95% CI = 19.8% to 24.2%) underwent pregnancy testing. The most frequent teratogenic medications administered without pregnancy testing were benzodiazepines (52.2%; 95% CI = 31.1% to 72.7%), antibiotics (10.7%; 95% CI = 5.0% to 16.3%), and antiepileptics (7.7%; 95% CI = 0.12% to 15.5%). The most common diagnoses associated with teratogenic drug prescription without pregnancy testing were psychiatric (16.1%; 95% CI = 13.6% to 18.6%), musculoskeletal (12.7%; 95% CI = 10.8% to 14.5%), and cardiac (9.5%; 95% CI = 7.6% to 11.3%). In multivariable analyses, visits by older (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.79), non-Hispanic white females (AOR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.54 to 0.93); visits in the Northeast region (AOR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.86); and visits during which teratogenic medications were administered in the ED only (AOR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.57 to 0.97) compared to prescribed at discharge only were less likely to have pregnancy testing. Conclusions A minority of ED visits by reproductive-aged women included pregnancy testing when patients were prescribed category D or X medications. Interventions are needed to ensure that pregnancy testing occurs before women are prescribed potentially teratogenic medications, as a preventable cause of infant morbidity.
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U2 - 10.1111/acem.12578
DO - 10.1111/acem.12578
M3 - Article
C2 - 25639672
AN - SCOPUS:84925355651
SN - 1069-6563
VL - 22
SP - 192
EP - 196
JO - Academic Emergency Medicine
JF - Academic Emergency Medicine
IS - 2
ER -