RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the trends in the sociodemographic, clinical, and prescription characteristics of patients with psychotic illnesses seen in the outpatient psychiatry department of a tertiary care facility. METHODS: Between March 2021 and April 2022, a cross-sectional, prospective, observational, naturalistic, non-interventional study was conducted. A total of two hundred prescriptions were analyzed. To assess the rationality of prescriptions, World Health Organization (WHO) indicators were also computed. RESULTS: With a range of 18 to 75 years, the cohort's mean age was 40.26 years, and its average disease duration was 10.75 years. Sixty-seven patients (68.5%) were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Of the 200 prescriptions that were analyzed, 13 antipsychotic prescriptions were written 343 times. Olanzapine was prescribed as an antipsychotic the most frequently (132, 66%), followed by clozapine (75, 37.5%). Haloperidol (41, 20.5%), trifluoperazine (3, 1.5%), loxapine (1, 0.5%), and flupenthixol depot (1, 0.5%) were the most commonly prescribed typical antipsychotics. 91% (181/200) of patients received prescriptions for other drugs in addition to antipsychotics. Trihexyphenidyl (45%), escitalopram (30%), clonazepam (26.5%), sodium valproate (10%), propranolol (10.5%), and modafinil (9.5%) were the most frequently prescribed concurrent medicines. Forty-eight percent (95/200) of prescriptions demonstrated polypharmacy. Among patients, the frequency of antipsychotic prescriptions was 1 in 44% (88/200), 2 in 36.50% (73/200), 3 in 17% (34/200), 4 in 0.5% (1/200), and 5 again in 0.5% (1/200). Conclusions: On average, the cohort of the current study was young. The commonest diagnosis was mainly schizophrenia. Atypical antipsychotics accounted for the majority of antipsychotic prescriptions in the current study. In this study, a high prevalence of polypharmacy was noted.
RESUMO
Objective: The present study aimed to validate a questionnaire and measure the previous knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the general population and healthcare professionals regarding the debilitating disorder of dementia. Design: A questionnaire including 27 items was compiled by the authors and was circulated via the online platform. Setting:A questionnaire-based survey was conducted using the online modality. Participants: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants aged 18 and above from all walks of life. Measurements: Test-retest reliability, item analysis, and Cronbach's alpha were calculated for the compiled questionnaire. The responses of the participants were assessed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. Results: A total of 503 responses were collected. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.70) was acceptable and the test-retest reliability (0.823) was good. Eighty-one percent (408/503) of participants had heard the word dementia. Seven percent (27/408) of the participants who had heard the word dementia did not have any knowledge about the symptoms of dementia. Thirty-three percent (136/408) of participants believed that dementia could not be prevented. Almost half, i.e., 46% (187/408) of participants, considered dementia as a normal part of aging. Conclusions: The present study provides a fully validated questionnaire, which could prove helpful in research as it permits generating high-quality data and reducing measurement error. Knowledge of dementia among the general participants seems to be moderate and prompts towards the development of advocacy programs.
