Publications
Department of Medicine faculty members published more than 3,000 peer-reviewed articles in 2022.
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BACKGROUND
Information on infliximab use in a community setting is important to understand patterns of medication use and to anticipate and plan for costs associated with the drug. We sought to understand predictors of initiation and discontinuation of infliximab in the community-based setting of Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, which provides integrated care to its members.
METHODS
The cohort study was set during 1998-2006. Predictors of initiation were assessed among 494 Crohn's disease (CD) patients who initiated infliximab and 2470 CD patients who did not initiate infliximab (controls). Data were obtained through linkage of computerized clinical information and were analyzed using logistic regression and Cox survival analysis.
RESULTS
Infliximab infusions have increased rapidly since 2001, with no evidence of leveling off. Initiators were appreciably younger than controls (P < 0.001), but were similar to controls with respect to sex and race/ethnicity. The presence of at least 1 comorbidity was related to a modest increase in the risk of initiating (compared with none: 1 comorbidity, odds ratio [OR] = 1.52 with 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.00; 2 comorbidities, OR = 1.38 with CI 0.89-2.13). By 3 years after initiating, only 20% of patients remained on infliximab.
CONCLUSIONS
In a community-based setting infliximab use has steadily increased. Age and comorbidity are associated with initiation, but sex and race/ethnicity are not. More information is needed to determine why, in this community-based setting, a large number of patients on infliximab discontinued their treatment.(Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008).
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BACKGROUND & AIMS
We sought to evaluate long-term outcomes of patients with severe ulcerative colitis (UC) after their first hospitalization for the disease.
METHODS
A cohort of 656 patients hospitalized for UC during 1996 to 2004 was followed up for 9 years through 2004. Time-to-event was estimated using actuarial methods, and the proportions of those under follow-up evaluation who experienced outcomes at month 3, year 1, and year 5 were determined. Outcome measures studied were time to subsequent colectomy, rehospitalization for inflammatory bowel disease, and restarting steroid medication. We also used survival analysis to evaluate whether patient characteristics predicted the risk of rehospitalization and colectomy.
RESULTS
Among 656 patients initially hospitalized for severe UC, 20% (N = 129) underwent colectomy during their initial hospitalization. Of the remaining 527, a total of 95% (N = 498) were discharged on a steroid taper. At 1 year after discharge, 29% of those remaining under observation were rehospitalized for UC, and an additional 10% required colectomy. At 1 and 5 years after discharge, 34% and 26% received at least a 90-day supply of steroid in the preceding 9 months. Risk of rehospitalization and colectomy were unrelated to the patient's age, sex, or race/ethnicity.
CONCLUSIONS
The risk for colectomy in patients hospitalized for the first time with severe UC is 20%. In the 3 months after hospitalization the risk for colectomy is 6%. After that, risks appear to decrease proportionate to the time since initial hospitalization.
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