Table 3.

Incidence rate ratios for adverse events associated with short term use of oral corticosteroids

Adverse event	No of participants	Median dose (mg/day)	Median No of days using steroids	5-30 days*			31-90 days*
				Incidence rate ratio† (95% CI)	P value		Incidence rate ratio† (95% CI)	P value
All doses v no corticosteroids:
Sepsis	1556	20	6	5.30 (3.80 to 7.41)	<0.001		2.91 (2.05 to 4.14)	<0.001
Venous thromboembolism	4343	17.5	6	3.33 (2.78 to 3.99)	<0.001		1.44 (1.19 to 1.74)	<0.001
Fracture	20 090	19	6	1.87 (1.69 to 2.07)	<0.001		1.40 (1.29 to 1.53)	<0.001
Dose: <20 mg/day v 0 mg/day:
Sepsis	708	17.5	6	4.02 (2.41 to 6.69)	<0.001		2.62 (1.58 to 4.34)	<0.001
Venous thromboembolism	2139	17.5	6	3.61 (2.81 to 4.64)	<0.001		1.27 (0.96 to 1.67)	0.10
Fracture	9941	17.5	6	1.83 (1.60 to 2.10)	<0.001		1.41 (1.24 to 1.59)	<0.001
Dose: 20-39 mg/day v 0 mg/day:
Sepsis	652	32	7	7.10 (4.20 to 12.01)	<0.001		2.91 (1.64 to 5.18)	<0.001
Venous thromboembolism	1713	35	7	2.83 (2.09 to 3.84)	<0.001		1.40 (1.03 to 1.90)	0.03
Fracture	8009	35	7	1.95 (1.66 to 2.30)	<0.001		1.33 (1.15 to 1.54)	<0.001
Dose: ≥40 mg/day v 0 mg/day:
Sepsis	196	60	5	4.98 (1.69 to 14.72)	0.004		5.20 (1.77 to 15.25)	0.003
Venous thromboembolism	491	60	5	4.15 (2.45 to 7.03)	<0.001		2.27 (1.38 to 3.74)	0.001
Fracture	2140	60	5	1.77 (1.31 to 2.39)	<0.001		1.61 (1.26 to 2.05)	<0.001

*Number of days from date when corticosteroid prescription was filled. Reference period was 5-180 days before prescription date.

†Sepsis was adjusted for antibiotics, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, antidepressants, anti-inflammatory agents, antimuscarinics, opiate agonists, and phenothiazine. Venous thromboembolism was adjusted for antibiotics, androgens, anxiolytics, anti-inflammatory agents, azoles, calcium channel blockers, coumarin, diuretics, opiate agonists, and platelet aggregation inhibitors. Fractures were adjusted for anti-inflammatory agents, COX-2 inhibitors, and opiate agonists.