The risk of traffic accidents after prescriptions of carisoprodol

Carisoprodol, a drug used for acute lower back pain, may cause psychomotor impairment. We wanted to investigate if patients using carisoprodol had increased risk of being involved in a traffic accident. Data were retrieved from three population-based registries for the period April 2004-September 2005. The Norwegian Prescription Database contained individual information on all dispensed drugs at all pharmacies outside hospitals. The Norwegian Road Accident Registry contained information on all drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents with person injury. The Norwegian Central Population Registry was used to control for emigration or death. The accident incidence among carisoprodol exposed and unexposed subjects was compared by standardized incidence ratio. Results showed that having a prescription for carisoprodol dispensed increased the standardized incidence ratio for being involved in an accident with person injury to 3.7 (95% CI 2.9-4.8) the first week after the date of dispensing. This was similar to diazepam (2.8; 2.2-3.6), but higher than for salbutamol (1.1; 0.6-1.8). Patients receiving carisoprodol seem to have an increased risk of being involved in traffic accidents involving person injury. The study gives support to earlier work published on the impairing effects of carisoprodol.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V5S-4NC5T3S-2/2/44c75b97eaf6bc1862438094c96aa4be
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
• Authors:
  • Bramness, Jorgen G
  • Skurtveit, Svetlana
  • Morland, Jorg
  • Engelund, Anders
• Publication Date: 2007-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1050-1055
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Human factors in crashes; Impaired drivers; Medication; Traffic crash victims; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Carisoprodol
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01080628
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Nov 15 2007 10:31AM