Sign up for our complimentary
weekly e-journal

Main Newsletter
Mastery Series
Therapy Series
 
Bookmark and Share | Print Article | Feature Previous | All Articles This Week | Next
This article originally posted 25 November, 2008 and appeared in  Issue 444, Safety and Error Prevention, Cardiovascular Health, Prevention

Risks for Drug Induced Pancreatitis

With all the press lately about the incretin mimetics and pancreatitis our current intern, Jennifer Webb, PharmD Candidate, FAMU has taken a look at the facts, and compared the chances of pancreatitis among classes of drugs and how the risk of death from these drugs compare to other things. Find the numbers yourself in her feature
Advertisement

Risks for Drug Induced Pancreatitis
Jennifer Webb, PharmD Candidate, FAMU

  • Acute pancreatitis affects approximately 80,000 people in the US each year
  • Chronic pancreatitis is seen more in men than women
  • Most cases are caused by gallstones and alcohol abuse
  • Drug induced pancreatitis only account for about 5% of the population diagnosed with pancreatitis.

 

Causes of Pancreatitis

 

Prevalence

 

Gallstones

 

45% of reported cases

 

Alcohol

 

35% of reported cases

 

Drug induced

 

5% of reported cases
  • Drug induced pancreatitis rarely occurs and the prevalence of such incidences have been difficult to determine.

 

Risk of Pancreatitis from

 

Comments

 

Incretins

 

 

There have been 6 reported cases out of over 1million users but there were other causatives in each case.

 

Ace Inhibitors

 

There have been multiple cases reported but it is impossible to estimate the prevalence

 

Thiazide Diuretics

 

There have been 25 reported cases, but they are thought to be caused by electrolyte imbalances

 

Statins

 

3.9% out of 2576 patients


Risk of Drug Induced Death

  • Medication related death is rare
  • There is a greater risk of death riding in a car than taking a prescription medication.

 

Risk of Death from

 

Population risk per year

 

Automobile Accidents

 

1 out of 7,700

 

Aspirin Therapy

 

1 out of 10,000

 

Incretin Therapy

 

1 out of 350,000

 

Drowning

 

1 out of 86,000

 

Riding a motorcycle

 

1 out of 91,500

 

Firearms

 

1 out of 300,000

 

Tornados

 

1 out of 5 million

 

Lightning

 

1 out of 6 million

 

Caffeine

 

1 out of 100 million

Related Articles

Metformin-induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency Presenting as a Peripheral Neuropathy Link between Hypoglycemia and Mortality Rates in Critically Ill Preventing Medication Errors
Advertisement

 

Bookmark and Share | Print | Category | Home

This article originally posted 25 November, 2008 and appeared in  Issue 444, Safety and Error Prevention, Cardiovascular Health, Prevention

Past five issues: Diabetes Clinical Mastery Series Issue 85 | Issue 626 | Special Edition - Getting Patients on Track | Diabetes Clinical Mastery Series Issue 84 | Issue 625 |

 
Diabetes In Control Advertisers
 
 
Cast Your Vote
Now that once-weekly GLP-1 is available, which product are you recommending for your type 2 patients?

Navigate Diabetes In Control

Complications CE & CME Clinical Slides Drugs Affecting BG Safety Tools Test Your Knowledge Medications Polls Obesity Case Studies Jobs Interviews

Announcement:
 

Free Weekly Newsletter
Sign up here.

Free CE Available
CE Programs on diabetes

Search Articles On Diabetes In Control