Background: Epilepsy is "a condition characterized by recurrent (two or more) seizure, unprovoked by any immediate identifi ed cause." The desired outcome of antiseizure drug (ASD) therapy is to be seizure-free throughout the rest of life. The objective was to study the utilization pattern and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with the use of ASDs in pediatric outpatients in epilepsy clinic. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational and single center study was carried out over a period of 1 year in 430 pediatric patients. Analyzed data included demographic details and drugs prescribed in respective seizure types along with ADRs due to ASDs. Results: In a total 430 patients analyzed, seizure were most commonly observed in boys (69.8%) in 6-10 year of age (45.3%), with a positive family history in (16%), with no specifi c cause of seizure in (71.6%), with most common type was focal seizure in (62.3%), which was mainly treated with carbamazepine (73.8%). Most common ADR was irritability (32.2%) with Valproate being main drug. 87.3% ADRs were in " possible" as per World Health Organization causality assessment scale, 94.9% ADRs were "mild" as per Hartwig and Siegel severity assessment scale and 98.3% ADRs were "preventable" as per Schumock and Thornton preventability scale. Conclusion: Focal seizure was most common type of seizure observed mainly in boys of 6-10 year with carbamazepine as mainly prescribed drug. Use of appropriate ASDs in the majority of patients as per guidelines, has decreased number of ADRs in our study. Prescribing drugs were mainly from essential drug list and by generic names.
Background: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Though many clinical guidelines published recently for the treatment of hypertension, there is substantial variation in the treatment of hypertension in different countries. Aims and objectives: To evaluate the drug utilization pattern among hypertensive patients and their adverse effects attending medicine OPD in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted by Department of Pharmacology in a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of six months. The diagnosis and line of treatment to be given was decided by the physician in charge of the Department of Medicine. All the information of ADR was recorded in CDSCO Suspected ADR reporting form. Results: Out of 600 patients, 43.83% were male and 56.17% were female. Maximum patients belonged to age group of 51-60 years (33.5%). Diabetes mellitus (40.33%) was the most common associated disease with hypertension. About half of the patients had received two antihypertensive drugs (49.50%), followed by one (33.16%) and three (15.5%) antihypertensive drugs. Enalapril was the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug (79.66%). 95 patients (15.83%) from the total of 600 patients developed ADR. Most common ADR was cough (18.94%) followed by headache (12.63%) and vomiting (10.52%). Enalapril was responsible for about half of the ADR (50.52%) followed by amlodipine (25.26%) and furosemide (25.26%). Conclusion: Rational utilization pattern of antihypertensive drugs was observed. However diuretics and calcium channel blockers prescribed less commonly. Most of the ADRs were probable (55.79%) and mild (30.53%).
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