Psychotropic drugs and accidents in Scania, Sweden

Injuries are second to cardiovascular diseases, the main cause of hospital care in Sweden. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between medication with psychotropic drugs and injuries from two types of accidents, i.e. falling accidents and transportation accidents, respectively, in the whole population aged≥18 years in the county of Scania, Sweden.

Injuries from falling accidents and transportation accidents during 2007 were identified from the Region Healthcare database. Exposure to psychotropic medication expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs) during the 18 months before baseline, i.e. 1 January 2007, was identified from the Swedish Medication Register. The results were stratified by sex and three age groups, i.e. 18-34 years, 35-64 years and ≥65. The logistic regression models were adjusted for marital status, country of origin, income, previous disease and previous accidents.

Using psychotropic drugs was associated with increased odds for a falling accident in all age groups, however, with a dose-response relationship only among the elderly. Furthermore, using psychotropic drugs was associated with increased odds of transportation accidents in the ages 18-34 years and 35-64 years, respectively, but with a weaker association among the elderly. A similar pattern of association was seen for specific groups of psychotropic drugs: opioids, anti-depressants and anxiolytics/hypnotics/sedatives.

In this total population-based study, there were nearly consistent associations between use of psychotropic drugs and injuries from falling accidents and transportation accidents, even after adjustment for previous accidents, previous disease and socio-demographic variables.