Economic burden of atopic manifestations in patients with atopic dermatitis--analysis of administrative claims.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has been associated with atopic manifestations (AMs), such as food allergies, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis.

Objectives: To (1) compare the risk of developing AMs in patients with AD versus those without AD, (2) estimate the incremental costs attributable to AMs in patients with AD, and (3) examine the factors associated with incremental costs.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the authors used MarketScan research databases containing medical and pharmacy claims with dates of service from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2004.

Intelligent alarm processing into clinical knowledge.

Alarmed physiological monitors have become a standard part of the ICU. While the alarms generated by these monitors can be important indicators of an altered physiological condition, most are unhelpful to medical staff due to a high incidence of false and clinically insignificant alarms. High numbers of false/insignificant alarms can lead to several adverse consequences such as increased patient anxiety,distraction of clinicians, and decreased efficiency in delivery of care.

Administrative claims analysis of utilization and costs of care in health plan members with atopic dermatitis who had prior use of a topical corticosteroid and who initiate therapy with pimecrolimus or tacrolimus.

Background: In the United States, pimecrolimus cream and tacrolimus ointment are approved as second-line therapy for short-term and intermittent noncontinuous long-term treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in nonimmunocompromised patients aged 2 years or older who have failed to respond adequately to other topical prescription treatments (e.g., topical corticosteroids), or when those treatments are not advisable; pimecrolimus is indicated for mild to- moderate AD and tacrolimus for moderate-to-severe AD.

Patterns of psychotropic drug prescription for U.S. patients with diagnoses of bipolar disorders.

Objective: Bipolar disorders are prevalent major illnesses with high rates of morbidity, comorbidity, disability, and mortality. A growing number of psychotropic drugs are used to treat bipolar disorder, often off-label and in untested, complex combinations.

Methods: To quantify utilization rates for psychotropic drug classes, this study used the 2002-2003 U.

Persistence, adherence, and risk of discontinuation associated with commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug monotherapies.

Objective: To assess 1-year persistence and adherence with monotherapy using the most commonly dispensed individual agent in 4 antihypertensive drug classes: hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), amlodipine, lisinopril, or valsartan.

Design: Retrospective, longitudinal analysis of initial prescriptions during 2001 to 2002 from a nationwide administrative claims database representing 11 million covered lives in the United States.

Measurements: Drug utilization following initiation.