Use of medication in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis in Germany

Introduction:

The aim of the present study was to give an insight into the medical treatment methods of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in Germany. Examination of the ICD codes and ATC classes of CRS patients in general practitioner (GP) and ENT practices should demonstrate prevalent treatment behaviors.

Methods:

The present study used data from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA). The sample included patients from 940 GP and 106 ENT practices who were coded in 2015 as "chronic sinusitis" (ICD-10: J32) or "nasal polyps" (ICD-10: J33). The primary measures included the number of patients with these diagnoses per practice and the proportion of patients with prescriptions for topical and systemic corticosteroids, antibiotics, antihistamines and decongestants within 365 days of the first diagnosis.

Results:

This retrospective study included 26768 patients with coding for ICD-10: J32 and 516 patients for ICD-10: J33 in GP practices and correspondingly 19826 patients (ICD-10: J32) and 1773 patients (ICD-10: J33) in ENT practices. In patients coded with ICD-10: J32, topical corticosteroids were prescribed at a low rate (HA: 12.3%, ENT: 34.3%). Topical corticosteroid use was higher in GP (27.3%) and ENT practices (71.2%) in patients coded with ICD-10: J33.

Conclusions:

Topical corticosteroid use in CRS patients in HA practices in Germany is as low as in other Western countries. The increased use of topical corticosteroids in CRS patients with polyposis should be promoted in GP and ENT practices.

Publication History

Publication Date:
23 April 2019 (online)