Declining Public Health Burden of Digoxin Toxicity From 1991 to 2004

Abstract

We hypothesized that digoxin toxicity has declined in recent years, and that the decline is accompanied by reductions in overall utilization and dose. To analyze trends in digoxin toxicity and utilization from 1991 to 2004, we used surveys from the National Center for Health Statistics and Medicaid data in the United States and The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database in the United Kingdom. There was a significant decline in digoxin toxicity hospitalizations in the United States and a decline in ambulatory digoxin toxicity in the United Kingdom. The study demonstrated a reduction in the use of digoxin in the United States, but found no change in digoxin use in the United Kingdom. Finally, the number of prescriptions written for at least 250 microg decreased in the United States and the United Kingdom. The public health burden of digoxin toxicity declined dramatically from 1991 to 2004 in the United Kingdom and the United States.