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What type and dose of antidepressants are cancer and non-cancer inpatients being prescribed: a retrospective case-control study at an Australian tertiary hospital

Overview of attention for article published in Supportive Care in Cancer, September 2017
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Title
What type and dose of antidepressants are cancer and non-cancer inpatients being prescribed: a retrospective case-control study at an Australian tertiary hospital
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer, September 2017
DOI 10.1007/s00520-017-3876-4
Pubmed ID
Authors

Saira Sanjida, Kelly Mulvogue, Joanne Shaw, Jeremy Couper, David Kissane, Sallie-Anne Pearson, Melanie A. Price, Monika Janda

Abstract

Cancer patients are often prescribed antidepressants, but little data is available about whether the type and dose are similar to prescriptions to patients with other chronic diseases. This study compared the prescription practices of antidepressants to cancer and non-cancer inpatients at a major Australian tertiary hospital and assessed side effects and potential drug-drug interactions. Inpatients diagnosed with cancer within the past 12 months and prescribed antidepressants were age and gender matched to inpatients with other chronic disease conditions. Data from 75 cancer and 75 non-cancer inpatients were extracted. Antidepressants were prescribed to cancer and non-cancer patients, respectively, for the treatment of depression (n = 50 vs n = 59), other mental health problems (n = 8 vs n = 11, p < 0.67) or unspecified reasons (n = 17 vs n = 5, p < 0.02). Mirtazapine (n = 11/75) was most commonly prescribed to cancer patients followed by duloxetine (n = 9/75). Desvenlafaxine (n = 15/75) was prescribed most commonly to non-cancer inpatients, followed by mirtazapine (n = 11/75). Four cancer patients and three non-cancer patients had documented adverse side effects from antidepressants. About one-third of cancer patients (n = 23/75) and about a quarter of non-cancer patients (n = 18/75) were prescribed other medicines with the potential for drug-drug interactions with antidepressants. Antidepressants were prescribed for a range of indications in all patients, but more commonly for unspecified reasons among the cancer patients. Future prospective studies that monitor antidepressant prescribing to cancer patients should ascertain details of the indication, pathways to prescription and differences in type, dose or schedule depending on prescribing medical practitioner.

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The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 3 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 25 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 25 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Other 4 16%
Researcher 3 12%
Student > Doctoral Student 2 8%
Student > Bachelor 2 8%
Student > Ph. D. Student 2 8%
Other 4 16%
Unknown 8 32%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 6 24%
Social Sciences 2 8%
Business, Management and Accounting 1 4%
Nursing and Health Professions 1 4%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 1 4%
Other 4 16%
Unknown 10 40%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 07 May 2023.
All research outputs
#15,437,159
of 23,706,541 outputs
Outputs from Supportive Care in Cancer
#3,059
of 4,749 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#190,584
of 319,301 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Supportive Care in Cancer
#60
of 73 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,706,541 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 32nd percentile – i.e., 32% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,749 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.8. This one is in the 32nd percentile – i.e., 32% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 319,301 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 37th percentile – i.e., 37% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 73 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 17th percentile – i.e., 17% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.