Study Data from Harvard Medical School Update Understanding of Pneumonia (Evaluating Confounding Control In Estimations of Influenza Antiviral Effectiveness In Electronic Health Plan Data): Lung Diseases and Conditions – Pneumonia

2022 MAY 31 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Lung Diseases and Conditions - Pneumonia. According to news reporting originating from Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Observational studies of oseltamivir use and influenza complications could suffer from residual confounding. Using negative control risk periods and a negative control outcome, we examined confounding control in a health-insurance-claims-based study of oseltamivir and influenza complications (pneumonia, all-cause hospitalization, and dispensing of an antibiotic).”

Financial support for this research came from United States Department of Health & Human Services.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Harvard Medical School, “Within the Food and Drug Administration’s Sentinel System, we identified individuals aged >= 18 years who initiated oseltamivir use on the influenza diagnosis date versus those who did not, during 3 influenza seasons (2014-2017). We evaluated primary outcomes within the following 1-30 days (the primary risk period) and 61-90 days (the negative control period) and nonvertebral fractures (the negative control outcome) within days 1-30. We estimated propensity-score-matched risk ratios (RRs) per season. During the 2014-2015 influenza season, oseltamivir use was associated with a reduction in the risk of pneumonia (RR = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70, 0.75) and all-cause hospitalization (RR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.55) in days 1-30. During days 61-90, estimates were near-null for pneumonia (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.95, 1.15) and hospitalization (RR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.98) but slightly increased for antibiotic dispensing (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.21). The RR for fractures was near-null (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.20). Estimates for the 2016-2017 influenza season were comparable, while the 2015-2016 season had conflicting results.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Our study suggests minimal residual confounding for specific outcomes, but results differed by season.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Evaluating Confounding Control In Estimations of Influenza Antiviral Effectiveness In Electronic Health Plan Data. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2022. American Journal of Epidemiology can be contacted at: Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept, 2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA. (Oxford University Press - http://www.oup.com/; American Journal of Epidemiology - aje.oxfordjournals.org)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Noelle M. Cocoros, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Population Medicine, 401 Pk Dr, Suite 401E, Boston, MA 02215, United States. Additional authors for this research include Phyo T. Htoo, Gregory Measer, Robert Orr, Alfred Sorbello, Henry Francis, Sarah K. Dutcher, Justin Bohn, Austin Cosgrove, Amanda Carruth and Sengwee Toh.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac020. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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