Table 1.
Potential Indications in Children and Adolescents Initiating Prescription Benzodiazepine Treatment
| Variable | Total N=85,550 |
Children, 3–12 years N=24,504 |
Adolescents, 13–17 years N=61,046 |
Child vs adolescent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | Crude PR (95% CI) | |
| Patient, prescribing characteristics | ||||
| Age at benzodiazepine start, median (IQR) | 15.0 (12.0–16.0) | 9.0 (7.0–11.0) | 16.0 (15.0–17.0) | |
| Female | 56.2 | 46.5 | 60.2 | 0.77 (0.76, 0.78) |
| Initial benzodiazepine | ||||
| Diazepam | 30.0 | 42.0 | 25.1 | 1.67 (1.64, 1.71) |
| Lorazepam | 24.2 | 21.8 | 25.1 | 0.87 (0.84, 0.89) |
| Alprazolam | 18.5 | 9.9 | 22.0 | 0.45 (0.43, 0.47) |
| Clonazepam | 21.5 | 20.4 | 22.0 | 0.93 (0.90, 0.95) |
| Triazolam | 1.8 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.38 (0.33, 0.45) |
| Clobazam | 0.8 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 7.70 (6.49, 9.14) |
| Other | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 0.86 (0.79, 0.93) |
| Potential indications, diagnoses prior 30 days | ||||
| Any potential indication | 47.9 | 40.4 | 51.0 | 0.79 (0.78, 0.81) |
| Any potential indication including injury and musculoskeletal condition | 66.6 | 62.0 | 68.4 | 0.91 (0.90, 0.92) |
| Mental health potential indication | 39.0 | 23.0 | 45.4 | 0.51 (0.49, 0.52) |
| Anxiety disorder | 27.6 | 17.2 | 31.7 | 0.54 (0.53, 0.56) |
| Unspecific anxiety | 15.7 | 10.0 | 18.0 | 0.56 (0.53, 0.58) |
| Generalized anxiety disorder | 7.9 | 5.0 | 9.1 | 0.55 (0.51, 0.58) |
| OCD | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 0.95 (0.85, 1.05) |
| PTSD | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.47 (0.40, 0.57) |
| Panic disorder | 3.9 | 1.4 | 4.9 | 0.28 (0.25, 0.32) |
| Social phobia | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.31 (0.25, 0.39) |
| Other anxiety disordera | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 0.81 (0.73, 0.89) |
| Sleep problems | 3.1 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 0.80 (0.73, 0.87) |
| Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders | 4.0 | 1.8 | 4.9 | 0.38 (0.35, 0.42) |
| Conduct/disruptive behavior disorders | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.38 (1.26, 1.51) |
| Depression | 14.7 | 3.6 | 19.2 | 0.19 (0.17, 0.20) |
| Epilepsy, convulsions | 6.3 | 12.5 | 3.8 | 3.33 (3.16, 3.51) |
| Movement disorders; muscle spasmb | 5.9 | 9.8 | 4.4 | 2.23 (2.11, 2.35) |
| Other, uncommonc | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.95 (0.66, 1.37) |
| Injuryd | 12.5 | 12.9 | 12.4 | 1.04 (1.00, 1.08) |
| Musculoskeletal, connective tissue conditiond | 23.0 | 25.3 | 22.0 | 1.15 (1.12, 1.18) |
Other anxiety disorder includes: separation anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, other phobia, selective mutism, other anxiety, anxiety due to other conditions, acute stress disorder, nervousness/other anxiety.
Movement disorder, muscle spasm: Muscle spasm, abnormal involuntary movement; cerebral palsy; tics; movement disorder; motor neuron diseases; muscular dystrophies/myopathies.
Other uncommon: alcohol withdrawal, burning mouth syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, irritability/impulsive.
Injury(ICD-9-CM: 800-904, 910-957); Musculoskeletal, connective tissue condition (ICD-9-CM: 710-739.x); common diagnoses under ‘musculoskeletal, connective tissue condition’: spine curvature (3.4%, children=3.3%, adolescents=3.5%), pain in limb/joint (7.3%, children=7.2%, adolescents=7.3%), pain in neck/back (7.2%, children=7.1%, adolescents=7.3%).
OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder; PR, prevalence ratio.