Methods Projects

In Canada, an immediate steep decline in valsartan use was observed after the July 2018 recall accompanied by increased switching to other angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) products. Subsequent recalls for losartan and irbesartan were also associated with increased switching, but overall trends in use remained unchanged. Despite availability of uncontaminated ARB products at the time of the recall, findings show that the immediate response was to switch patients to another ARB.

In this large study of 4,103,695 pregnancies, ondansetron use during pregnancy was not associated with increased risks of fetal death, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, or major congenital malformation, when compared with other commonly used antiemetic drugs.

This population-based study of COVID-19 outpatients in three Canadian provinces, demonstrated that use of systemic corticosteroid therapy as a treatment for COVID-19 was limited during the first year of the pandemic.

This international, multi-center, retrospective cohort, confirmed that the risk of major bleeding associated with direct oral anticoagulants as a class is not increased compared to vitamin K antagonists. Furthermore, the study observed a modest increased risk of major bleeding with rivaroxaban, and a lower risk with apixaban and dabigatran.

SGLT2 inhibitor use was not associated with an increased risk of severe UTI compared to use of DPP-4 inhibitors among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Apixaban is associated with lower risks of ischemic stroke and major bleeding, compared with rivaroxaban, and similar risks of these outcomes when compared with dabigatran. Rivaroxaban is associated with an increased risk of major bleeding and a similar risk of ischemic stroke, when compared with dabigatran.