Table 2.
Top Potentially Driver-Impairing Medication Classes Added Following a Motor Vehicle Crash, 2008-2017.
| Medication Class Addeda n (%) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Overall N= 124,954 person-crashes |
ADRD n= 10,358 person-crashes |
Healthcare encounter after crashb n= 48,385 person-crashes |
No healthcare encounter after crashb n= 76,569 person-crashes |
| 1 | Opioids 10,321 (8.3) |
Opioids 939 (9.1) |
Opioids 5,703 (11.8) |
Opioids 4,618 (6.0) |
| 2 | Skeletal Muscle Relaxants 2,704 (2.2) |
Benzodiazepines 277 (2.7) |
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants 1,616 (3.3) |
Antihistamines 1,330 (1.7) |
| 3 | Benzodiazepines 2,631 (2.1) |
SSRI Antidepressants 276 (2.7) |
Benzodiazepines 1,330 (2.7) |
Benzodiazepines 1,301 (1.7) |
| 4 | Antihistamines 2,536 (2.0) |
Antihistamines 270 (2.6) |
Beta Blockers 1,228 (2.5) |
Beta Blockers 1,249 (1.6) |
| 5 | Beta Blockers 2,477 (2.0) |
Beta Blockers 258 (2.5) |
Antihistamines 1,206 (2.5) |
Calcium Channel Blockers 1,163 (1.5) |
| 6 | Calcium Channel Blockers 2,305 (1.8) |
Calcium Channel Blockers 248 (2.4) |
Calcium Channel Blockers 1,142 (2.4) |
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants 1,088 (1.4) |
| 7 | Thiazide Diuretics 1,978 (1.6) |
Antiepileptics 238 (2.3) |
Antiepileptics 1,123 (2.3) |
Thiazide Diuretics 1,030 (1.3) |
| 8 | Antiepileptics 1,967 (1.6) |
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants 228 (2.2) |
Loop Diuretics 1,081 (2.2) |
ACE Inhibitors 935 (1.2) |
| 9 | Loop Diuretics 1,939 (1.6) |
Loop Diuretics 227 (2.2) |
Thiazide Diuretics 948 (2.0) |
Loop Diuretics 858 (1.1) |
| 10 | ACE Inhibitors 1,733 (1.4) |
Thiazide Diuretics 191 (1.8) |
SSRI Antidepressants 869 (1.8) |
Antiepileptics 844 (1.1) |
Abbreviations: ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; ADRD, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
a
Addition of a medication class was defined as no use of the medication class in the 120 days prior to crash and use of the medication class in the 120 days after the crash.
b
A healthcare encounter was defined as a hospital admission, emergency department visit, or outpatient office visit within 8 days of the motor vehicle crash (i.e., the day of the crash plus 7 days beyond that).