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Background: The neurosurgical disorders are amongst the leading cause of global mortality and morbidity. Though surgical intervention is thought to be the main management protocol in the neurosurgical setup but drugs are being equally used especially in the outpatient setting. The present study was carried out in view of the sparse data available on prescribing pattern in neurosurgery.Methods: The present study was conducted by the department of pharmacology in outpatient department of neurosurgery in a tertiary care centre to look into the prescription pattern among these patients.Results: In 268 patients analyzed, mean age was 43.02±15.93 years and 52.23% were females. Majority of our participants (44%) were found to be of young to middle age group (21-40 years). The diagnosis among the study population was spread over large number of diseases. Lumbar Disc Prolapse (LDP) was found to be the leading cause of neurosurgical morbidity, amounting to 32%. As far as the prescription of various drugs in the outpatient of neurosurgery is concerned, Analgesics were the most common drugs prescribed constituting about 48% of the total drugs prescribed followed by GABA analogues and multivitamins which equally formed 41% of the total prescribed drugs.Conclusions: Although the prescription pattern studies among the outpatient neurosurgery patients are very scant, the analysis of prescription studies will be helpful to encourage the rational drug prescribing pattern.
RESUMO
Background: Quality of life (QOL) is a broad, multidimensional concept that usually includes subjective evaluations of both positive and negative aspects of life. Very few studies have been carried out on QOLIE 31 in India and research in this area will identify factors affecting QOL. study was therefore conducted to determine the level of health related QOL of patients of epilepsy in a tertiary care teaching hospital. To evaluate patterns of the use of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and their impact on the Quality of Life (QOL) in patients with epilepsy.Methods: The study was a hospital based cross sectional study conducted by the Department of Pharmacology in association with the Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar. A total number of 134 patients, aged >18 years were studied for a period of one and a half years, January 2015-July 2016. QOLIE?31 questionnaire was used for collecting data on health?related QOL.Results: The mean overall QOLIE-31 score was 53 corresponding to a t-score of 44. Amongst the QOLIE-31 subscales, the highest mean score was the cognitive subscale (73.6) followed by medication effects (55.5) and social functions (52).Conclusions: It is evident from our study that there are many factors that influence QOL of people with epilepsy. Among them, type of drug therapy plays an important role. Adding clinical counselling and other interventions to address the physical, mental, psychological, social, and emotional aspects of health wellbeing is likely to achieve better health outcomes for epilepsy patients.
RESUMO
Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and reporting ADRs voluntarily is fundamental to medical drug safety surveillance but gross underreporting of ADRs is a cause for a concern. Being key health care professional, physicians, pharmacists and nurses have immense responsibility in reporting of ADRs. Therefore, the sensitization and involvement of undergraduate medical students can reduce underreporting. This study is aimed at evaluating knowledge, attitude and reporting of quality of ADRs by undergraduate medical students.Methods: The study was conducted after sensitizing the second professional year undergraduate students about Pharmacovigilance as part of their internal assessment and asked them to submit reports of ADR observed during their clinical posting.Results: A total of 82 ADR抯 were reported after sensitization with majority of them i.e. 30 related to skin and appendages disorder followed by gastrointestinal tract with antibiotics i.e. 28 and analgesics being most common probable/possible culprits.Conclusions: The response percentage of reporting ADRs was 54.66%. Medical students being future healthcare professionals should be exposed to ADR reporting during their clinical teaching posting as a part of sensitization and make them actively involved in reporting to improve detection rate and make Pharmacovigilance a success.
RESUMO
Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are adverse consequences of drug therapy being one of the leading causes of morbidity and represent a substantial burden of healthcare resources. Though Pharmacovigilance program was started in India in 1982, the awareness about it is much lower and underreporting of ADRs is a common problem with only 6-10% of all ADRs being reported. The objective of this study was to analyze the baseline knowledge of awareness regarding the ADRs and Pharmacovigilance activity in the undergraduate medical students who are future doctors of society so as to foster a culture of reporting ADRs, to fulfill various it is lacunaes and make adjustments of medical student’s curriculum in order to improve practice of reporting. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among second professional medical students in July 2015 to assess the knowledge of ADRs and Pharmacovigilance activities using a questionnaire to collect the information. Part “A” consisted of choosing the most appropriate answer and Part “B” included replying with “Yes” or “No.” Data were expressed as percentage proportions. Results: Out of the total of 150 enrolled students, 134 filled and returned the questionnaire with students having a mediocre knowledge about Pharmacovigilance and majority of them (94%) vouching that reporting of ADRs should be mandatory as it is going to benefit patients (99.2%). Conclusions: Our study revealed that there are gaps between knowledge regarding ADRs and Pharmacovigilance that needs to be addressed on priority basis for the success of the Pharmacovigilance program and better clinical management of patients in general.
RESUMO
A randomized, open labeled comparative analysis for 2-week therapy of inhaled Tiotropium (T) (n=30) and Tiotropium plus Formoterol (TF) (n=30) once daily was carried in stable COPD patients. Objective parameters like lung functions (FEV1 and FVC), SBP, DBP, pulse and subjective parameters like improvement in respiratory symptoms & safety were assessed at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment. Mean FEV1 was 1.0963±0.3826 & 1.1657±0.3701 as well as 1.1227±0.4129 & 1.2260±0.3830 before & after treatment with inhaled T & TF respectively. A statistically significant p<0.05 and p<0.001 improvement was only observed for FEV1 without significantly affecting other study parameters with two treatment modalities respectively when analyzed from respective base lines. However, on comparing the post drug improvement in objective & subjective parameters among T & TF treatment arms showed statistically insignificant p>0.05 variation. Both the regimens were well tolerated and no case warranted withdrawal of treatment. The present study suggests that in the treatment of COPD, inhaled long acting bronchodilators (T & TF) on comparison appear equally effective & safe.