title: Review: post-marketing surveillance of the safety of cimetidine--the problems of data interpretation.
abstract: Experience obtained during post-marketing surveillance of the safety of cimetidine emphasizes the difficulties in interpretation posed by the high background frequency of disease of all types in drug takers. The multiple sources of confounding factors, and their high prevalence, make it impossible to detect adverse events which mimic ordinary disease, particularly when a consistent relationship between adverse event and drug exposure is not observed. The inclusion of controls emphasizes the difficulties but does not ease interpretation.
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Langman
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vessey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D012449:Safety
chemical_list: D002927:Cimetidine