Abstract

PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS AMONG CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL, PALAKKAD

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health problem throughout the world and a common cause of premature morbidity and mortality. CVD is a general category of diseases that affects the heart and the circulatory system and is caused by disorders of the heart and blood vessels, and includes coronary heart disease (CHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke, hypertension, peripheral artery disease, and rheumatic heart disease. The aim of study was to assess the prescribing pattern of cardiovascular drugs among CVD patients. The study was a prospective observational study and conducted in Karuna Medical College Hospital Chittur, Palakkad in the duration of six months (November 2019 to April 2020). A total of 236 cases were included from Inpatients/Outpatients attending the General Medicine Department. Self designed data entry form was used to collect data related to the patient’s demographics, medical history, medication history, social habits and the management among CVD patients The gender wise distribution reveals that 135 (57.60%) were male patients and 101 (42.30%) with female patients, it shows that male patients were most affected than female patients. It also indicates that cardiovascular diseases are frequently seen in the age group 60-69, comprising of 31.35% of the total study population. Smoking, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia were the most common risk factors that cause cardiovascular diseases in the study population. The possible treatment options for the management of CVDs are antithrombotic drugs, anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, diuretics, digoxin, vasodilators and statins. Prevalence of Drug prescribing pattern: Study shows CCBs(25%) and Diuretics(8.75%) were the most common single drugs used for most of the hypertension followed by ARBs(7.5%). The patients with comorbid conditions were prescribed one or more antihypertensive drugs along with other cardiovascular drugs to treat their associated disease such as diabetes mellitus.