Abstract

AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF RISK FACTORS AND PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF ASTHMA IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Kameswaran R.*, Muhammed Sulthan, Shanmuga Sundaram R.

ABSTRACT

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular elements play a role, particularly mast cells, eosinophils, t-lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and epithelial cells. The prevalence of bronchial asthma has increased continuously since the 1970s, and now affects an estimated 4 to 7% of the people worldwide. Currently very limited epidemiological data on asthma is available from the developing world, including India. The present observational study aims to determine the epidemiology, risk factors and current prescribing trends of asthma , was conducted in tertiary care hospital in erode for a period of six months. Patients of either sex >20 years old diagnosed with bronchial asthma were included in the study .Result shows that among 280 bronchial asthma patients, 146 patients (52.14%) were male and 134(47.85%) female. 51.42% men had a family history of asthma than women (48.58%). The drug prescribed for bronchial asthma were β2 receptor agonist (40.55%) followed by corticosteroids (18.18%), anticholinergic agents (6.29%), methylxanthine (24.47%) and antihistamines (10.48%). In the combinational therapy, the mostly prescribed were β2 receptor agonist + corticosteroids combination (78.02%). Effective pharmacotherapy and educating the patients about the risk factors aggressively can help in decrease of bronchial asthmatic disease.

Keywords: .