Benzodiazepine use in COPD: empirical evidence from Norway

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive statistics

Variable	Mean	Standard deviation
DDDa	1.279	1.068
Number of prescribersa	0.830	0.668
Number of medication typesa	0.939	0.757
Menb	0.451	0.498
Age	68.736	11.087
Death of patientb	0.107	0.309
Overnight elective care	0.284	0.522
Polyclinic elective care	0.024	0.160
Overnight acute care	0.069	0.260
Daytime acute care	0.017	0.232
Polyclinic acute care	0.822	0.745
Days in treatment	2.797	6.657
Western Norwayb	0.158	0.365
Mid-Norwayb	0.123	0.329
Northern Norwayb	0.125	0.331
Nonregion/privateb	0.031	0.174

Notes:

a Categorical variables with values 0–3;

b dummy variables.

Abbreviation: DDD, defined daily doses.

Table 2 Dispensing of BZD measured in DDD for COPD patients (relative risk ratios)

Variables	1–100 DDD	101–400 DDD	401+ DDD
Men	0.626*** (0.541–0.723)	0.622*** (0.539–0.717)	0.505*** (0.426–0.599)
Age	1.010*** (1.003–1.017)	1.028*** (1.021–1.035)	0.997 (0.990–1.005)
Death of patient	1.631*** (1.289–2.065)	0.918 (0.715–1.179)	0.436*** (0.303–0.626)
Overnight planned care	1.305*** (1.074–1.586)	1.244** (1.021–1.517)	1.536*** (1.229–1.919)
Polyclinic planned care	1.225 (0.771–1.945)	1.427 (0.912–2.234)	0.853 (0.472–1.542)
Overnight acute care	1.310 (0.821–2.089)	1.347 (0.845–2.147)	1.497 (0.884–2.534)
Daytime acute care	2.741*** (1.402–5.359)	2.659*** (1.358–5.210)	2.377** (1.135–4.979)
Polyclinic acute care	1.059 (0.942–1.191)	0.976 (0.863–1.104)	0.904 (0.777–1.052)
Days in treatment	1.002 (0.984–1.020)	0.996 (0.978–1.015)	1.004 (0.983–1.025)
Western Norway	0.861 (0.701–1.059)	0.884 (0.722–1.083)	0.933 (0.738–1.178)
Mid-Norway	0.992 (0.787–1.252)	1.121 (0.896–1.404)	1.116 (0.860–1.448)
Northern Norway	0.950 (0.765–1.181)	0.868 (0.697–1.081)	0.591*** (0.443–0.787)
Nonregion/private	0.852 (0.470–1.544)	1.017 (0.567–1.825)	0.605 (0.315–1.159)
Constant	0.438*** (0.268–0.714)	0.155*** (0.0937–0.256)	0.888 (0.509–1.550)
Observations	5,380	5,380	5,380

Notes: These values all represent relative risk rations with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses.

** P<0.05;

*** P<0.01.

Abbreviations: BZD, benzodiazepines; DDD, defined daily doses.

Table 3 Number of BZD prescribers for COPD patients (relative risk ratios)

Variables	1 prescriber	2–5 prescribers	6+ prescribers
Men	0.599*** (0.531–0.677)	0.563*** (0.466–0.681)	0.636* (0.380–1.064)
Age	1.017*** (1.011–1.023)	1.002 (0.994–1.011)	0.982 (0.961–1.004)
Death of patient	1.197* (0.968–1.480)	0.518*** (0.357–0.750)	0.210** (0.0472–0.935)
Overnight planned care	1.252*** (1.056–1.485)	1.616*** (1.266–2.062)	2.005** (1.026–3.916)
Polyclinic planned care	1.319 (0.888–1.960)	0.875 (0.457–1.679)	3.33e-06 –
Overnight acute care	1.384 (0.923–2.076)	1.120 (0.622–2.017)	3.895** (1.294–11.72)
Daytime acute care	2.621*** (1.359–5.055)	2.549** (1.205–5.392)	3.610*** (1.684–7.740)
Polyclinic acute care	1.032 (0.932–1.143)	0.814** (0.676–0.981)	0.503** (0.254–0.996)
Days in treatment	0.996 (0.980–1.012)	1.020* (0.999–1.042)	0.966 (0.914–1.020)
Western Norway	0.913 (0.769–1.082)	0.747** (0.559–0.998)	0.956 (0.446–2.048)
Mid-Norway	0.987 (0.812–1.200)	1.468*** (1.108–1.946)	1.868* (0.914–3.815)
Northern Norway	0.702*** (0.580–0.848)	1.551*** (1.196–2.012)	1.425 (0.682–2.977)
Nonregion/private	0.878 (0.529–1.457)	0.772 (0.386–1.542)	0.420 (0.0686–2.567)
Constant	0.673* (0.445–1.017)	0.392*** (0.208–0.738)	0.194* (0.0373–1.004)
Observations	5,380	5,380	5,380

Notes: These values all represent relative risk rations with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses.

* P<0.1;

** P<0.05;

*** P<0.01; –Indicates insufficient data.

Abbreviation: BZD, benzodiazepines.

Table 4 Number of different types of BZD prescribed to COPD patients (relative risk ratios)

Variables	1 type of BZD	2–3 types of BZD	4+ types of BZD
Men	0.671*** (0.591–0.761)	0.462*** (0.397–0.538)	0.674 (0.367–1.240)
Age	1.019*** (1.013–1.025)	1.006* (0.999–1.013)	0.976* (0.951–1.002)
Death of patient	1.015 (0.812–1.269)	1.137 (0.883–1.464)	0.351 (0.0769–1.605)
Overnight planned care	1.148 (0.960–1.373)	1.650*** (1.354–2.011)	2.600*** (1.369–4.938)
Polyclinic planned care	1.167 (0.767–1.776)	1.303 (0.819–2.073)	0.906 (0.139–5.906)
Overnight acute care	1.148 (0.750–1.757)	1.881*** (1.190–2.974)	1.20e-06 –
Daytime acute care	2.722*** (1.408–5.264)	2.382** (1.181–4.804)	3.396*** (1.538–7.502)
Polyclinic acute care	1.015 (0.913–1.129)	0.914 (0.799–1.045)	1.310* (0.967–1.774)
Days in treatment	1.004 (0.988–1.021)	0.993 (0.975–1.011)	1.003 (0.913–1.102)
Western Norway	0.932 (0.780–1.114)	0.821* (0.663–1.018)	0.444 (0.154–1.281)
Mid-Norway	1.053 (0.860–1.289)	1.126 (0.891–1.423)	0.786 (0.297–2.075)
Northern Norway	0.898 (0.742–1.087)	0.705*** (0.554–0.898)	0.821 (0.335–2.014)
Nonregion/private	0.871 (0.514–1.476)	0.782 (0.437–1.400)	0.583 –
Constant	0.464*** (0.301–0.714)	0.653* (0.394–1.081)	0.120** (0.0202–0.712)
Observations	5,380	5,380	5,380

Notes: These values all represent relative risk rations with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses.

* P<0.10;

** P<0.05;

*** P<0.01; – Indicates insufficient data.

Abbreviation: BZD, benzodiazepines.