RESUMEN
Background: Post-COVID condition is an important health burden all over world. This study was conducted to determine incidence, symptoms and risk factors of post COVID syndrome. Methods: Cohort study was done on COVID-19 patients of Mukkam Municipality tested from Mukkam Community Health Centre. Baseline data was collected using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire by direct interview method after obtaining their consent. Subjects were followed up weekly for 6 months to know occurrence of post COVID syndrome, its course and outcome if any. Incidence and relative risk for age, gender, COVID-19 vaccination status, comorbidities and severity of COVID-19 illness were assessed for post COVID syndrome. Chi-square test was used for statistical association between severity of COVID-19 and occurrence of post COVID syndrome. Results: Among 800 persons tested for COVID-19, 28.75% were tested positive. Incidence of post COVID syndrome among study subjects was 42.2%. Relative risk for post COVID was high among participants having age more than 60 years (RR-1.76), females (RR-1.07), with comorbidities like diabetes (RR-1.28), hypertension (RR-1.06) and cardiac illness (RR-1.05), unvaccinated status (RR-1.21) and in severe COVID-19 infection (1.20). There is a significant statistical association between occurrence of post COVID syndrome and degree of severity of COVID-19 disease (p=0.0046). Conclusions: Post-COVID syndrome was found more often in older people who had severe COVID-19 illness, also incidence increases with severe COVID-19 illness.
RESUMEN
Background: WHO estimates that more than half of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a group of drugs that are commonly prescribed for the treatment of fever associated with pain and inflammation. The objective was to assess the prescribing pattern of NSAIDs in fever patients. Along with this, we looked at the clinical indications for prescribing and the pattern of prescribing with respect to use of generic or trade names. Methods: This observational study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Malappuram district of Kerala, India by extracting data of inpatients retrospectively from medical records for a six-month period. The reported prevalence of NSAID use in previous study was 20%, with a relative precision of 18% the sample size required was 500. The data was analyzed and expressed as absolute numbers and/or percentages. Results: Out of these 500 patients, Dengue fever was the most common diagnosis (86.6%) followed by Typhoid (2.8%) and Leptospirosis (2.4%). Among these, 392 (78.4%) received any of the NSAIDs. The most commonly prescribed drug was Paracetamol (77.04%). Among to the prescriptions, 91.7% were prescribed with generic names. As concomitant medications, antibiotics were prescribed at 21.2% cases, gastro protective agents were prescribed to 24.23% and vitamins were prescribed in 72.6% cases. Conclusions: This study has shown that the prescribing, usage and preferences of NSAIDs practiced rationally. No over use, under use or misuse of drugs was noticed.