Research Article

Trends in Early Outpatient Drug Therapy in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Finland: A Nationwide Register-Based Study in 1999–2009

Table 1

Pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease with purchases of disease modifying drugs for inflammatory bowel disease during the first 12 months by three different periods between the years 1999 and 2009.

Medication1999–20091999–20052006-20072008-2009 𝑃 valuea
ATC-code 𝑛 = 1 8 8 (%) 𝑛 = 3 8 (%) 𝑛 = 5 3 (%) 𝑛 = 9 7 (%)for linear trend

5-ASA (acting locally)A07EC0225(13.3)7(18.4)8(15.1)10(10.3)0.222
5-ASA (for systemic use)A07EC02174(92.6)32(84.2)49(92.5)93(95.9)0.040
SulfasalazineA07EC013(1.6)1(2.6)02(2.1)0.879
Corticosteroids (acting locally)A07EA02; A07EA0619(10.1)8(21.1)5(9.4)6(6.2)0.059
Corticosteroids (for systemic use)H02AB06; -02; -04; -07; -09; A07EA06137(72.9)29(76.3)36(67.9)72(74.2)0.802b
MetronidazoleP01AB0174(39.4)16(42.1)15(28.3)43(44.3)0.414
CiprofloxacinJ01MA0236(19.1)5(13.2)7(13.2)24(24.7)0.131
AzathioprineL04AX0180(42.6)12(31.6)19(35.8)49(50.5)0.030
MethotrexateL04AX03; L01BA016(3.2)2(5.3)04(4.1)0.947

aAdjusted for age. bCorticosteroids were analyzed periods 1999–2005 versus 2008-2009 (nonlinear trend over all three periods) as between the years 2006 and 2007 prednisolon 5 mg tablets were not reimbursed in Finland and, thus, a portion of data was not available.