Three Years of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in a European Region: A Population-Based Longitudinal Assessment in Madrid Between 2020 and 2022

Background

Our objective was to assess the health impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during 2020-2022 in the Madrid region.

Methods

We included all individuals registered in the Madrid Health System Registry as of 31 December 2019, and followed them until 31 December 2022. Using a unique personal identifier, we linked the databases of primary care, hospitals, pharmacies, certified laboratories performing diagnostic tests, vaccines, and mortality.

Results

Of 6 833 423 individuals, 21.4% had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, and 1.5% had a COVID-19 hospitalization (primary diagnosis). Thirty-day mortality was 1.6% for confirmed COVID-19 (from 11.4% in first semester 2020 to 0.4% in first semester 2022). Thirty-day mortality was 10.8% for COVID-19 hospitalizations (from 14.0% in first semester 2020 to 6.0% in second semester 2022). There were 24 073 deaths within 30 days of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Advanced age, male sex, higher socioeconomic deprivation, and comorbidities were associated with higher mortality.

Conclusions

By linking administrative and clinical databases, we characterized the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Madrid over 3 years. Our analysis proposes a high-level framework for comparisons of the burden of COVID-19 across areas worldwide.

Polypharmacy and Drug-Drug Interactions in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Region of Madrid, Spain: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) that involve antiretrovirals (ARVs) tend to cause harm if unrecognized, especially in the context of comorbidity and polypharmacy.

METHODS

A linkage was established between the drug dispensing registry of Madrid and the Liverpool human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DDI database (January 2017-June 2017). Polypharmacy was defined as the use of ≥5 non-HIV medications, and DDIs were classified by a traffic-light ranking for severity.

RESULTS

A total of 22 945 people living with HIV (PLWH) and 6 613 506 individuals without HIV had received medications. ARV regimens were predominantly based on integrase inhibitors (51.96%). Polypharmacy was higher in PLWH (32.94%) than individuals without HIV (22.16%; P < .001); this difference was consistently observed across all age strata except for individuals ≥75 years. Polypharmacy was more common in women than men in both PLWH and individuals without HIV. The prevalence of contraindicated combinations involving ARVs was 3.18%. Comedications containing corticosteroids, quetiapine, or antithrombotic agents were associated with the highest risk for red-flag DDI, and the use of raltegravir- or dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.72 (95% confidence interval, .60-.88; P = .001) for red-flag DDI.

CONCLUSIONS

Polypharmacy was more frequent among PLWH across all age groups except those aged ≥75 years and was more common in women. The detection of contraindicated medications in PLWH suggests a likely disconnect between hospital and community prescriptions. Switching to alternative unboosted integrase regimens should be considered for patients with risk of harm from DDIs.

Potentially inappropriate medications in older adults living with HIV

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) among older (≥ 65 years) people living with HIV (O-PLWH) in the region of Madrid.

METHODS

We analysed the dispensation registry of community and hospital pharmacies from the Madrid Regional Health Service (SERMAS) for the period between 1 January and 30 June 2017, looking specifically at PIMs according to the 2019 Beers criteria. Co-medications were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system.

RESULTS

A total of 6 636 451 individuals received medications. Of these individuals, 22 945 received antiretrovirals (ARVs), and of these 1292 were O-PLWH. Overall, 1135 (87.8%) O-PLWH were taking at least one co-medication, and polypharmacy (at least five co-medications) was observed in 852 individuals (65.9%). A PIM was identified in 482 (37.3%) O-PLWH. Factors independently associated with PIM were polypharmacy [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.16-9.72] and female sex (aOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.30-2.35). The distribution of PIMs according to ATC drug class were nervous system drugs (n = 369; 28.6%), musculoskeletal system drugs (n = 140; 10.8%), gastrointestinal and metabolism drugs (n = 72; 5.6%), cardiovascular drugs (n = 61; 4.7%), respiratory system drugs (n = 13; 1.0%), antineoplastic and immunomodulating drugs (n = 10; 0.8%), and systemic anti-infectives (n = 2; 0.2%). Five drugs accounted for 84.8% of the 482O PLWH with PIMs: lorazepam (38.2%), ibuprofen (18.0%), diazepam (10.2%), metoclopramide (9.9%), and zolpidem (8.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Prescription of PIMs is highly prevalent in O-PLWH. Consistent with data in uninfected elderly people, the most frequently observed PIMs were benzodiazepines and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Targeted interventions are warranted to reduce inappropriate prescribing and polypharmacy in this vulnerable population.