DRUG UTILIZATION STUDY IN TRAUMA INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Abstract

Objective: Trauma is defined as major public health problem worldwide and associated with significant morbidity and mortality both in developed and developing countries and to study prescription pattern in TICU among head trauma patients. Methods: The study was conducted in Trauma Intensive Care Unit of Department of Surgery in a Tertiary Care Hospital. This was a prospective, observational study done at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital. A total of 637 patients enrolled in the present study with fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patient’s data recorded in case report form and analyzed to study the prescription pattern. Results: A total of 637 cases were enrolled in this study. Trauma was more common in 499 (78.34%) male followed by 138 (21.66%) female. The average duration of stay in TICU was 3.62±1.38 days. In this study, mortality rate in study was 17.27 %. In the current study, the total numbers of drugs prescribed per prescription in TICU are most commonly between 5 and 8 (55.26%) drugs followed by between 9 and 12 drugs were 37.83%. The present study states that the most common prescribed drugs used were ranitidine (100%) followed by ondansetron (89.64%). Among antimicrobials cephalosporins were most commonly used ceftriaxone (31.08%) and cefotaxime (27.63%). Conclusions: The aim of study is monitoring and evaluation of the prescribers as well as recommends necessary modifications to achieve rational medical care. Study outcomes suggesting that admission to TICU is more in middle age group with mean age of 40.2 years. Average numbers of drugs prescribed were 8.76 drugs per patients which shows the trends of polypharmacy in the prescriptions.