§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of hepatoxicity have been reported in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years. [96175]
§ Ms BlearsHepatoxicity may be caused by a number of external sources including the use or misuse of alcohol, certain drugs as well as infection and injury. The Department does not routinely collect figures on the number of cases of hepatoxicity reported in the United Kingdom.
Table 1 provides data on the number of admissions to national health service hospitals in England where the reason for admission was alcoholic liver failure or toxic liver disease in the years 1995–96 to 2001–02. These figures are given in accordance with the derivation of hepatoxicity by NHS clinical coders.
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Table 1: Breakdown of hospital admissions related to alcoholic or toxic liver disease Alcoholic liver failure Toxic liver disease 1995–96 19,058 652 1996–97 22,881 690 1997–98 27,083 757 1998–99 29,026 787 1999–2000 33,571 676 2000–01 36,923 749 2001–02 39,896 670 The Yellow Card Scheme is a scheme by which health professionals in the UK can report suspected adverse reactions to medicinal products. Data are colleted and reviewed by the Medices Control Agency, with independent advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines. Approximately 18,000 reports of suspected adverse reactions to medicines are received through the scheme each year.
Table 2 provides a breakdown of the number of reports of hepatoxicity received in association with any medicine through the Yellow Card Scheme by year since 1993. These reports include all levels of severity of liver problems, from mild elevations of liver enzymes to liver failure. It is important to note that a report of suspected adverse reaction through the scheme does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the medicine.
Data from the Yellow Card Scheme cannot be used to calculate the incidence of medicine-related liver injury as not all adverse reaction to medicines are reported.
Table 2: Number of reports of hepatoxicity suspected to be due to medicines reported through the Yellow Card Scheme Year received Number of reports 1993 671 1994 675 1995 723 1996 712 1997 770 1998 820 1999 847 2000 861 2001 900 2002 785