Evaluation of Corticosteroid Utilization Pattern in Tertiary Care Hospital, Dehradun.

Abstract

Background: Corticosteroids are widely used as potent antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs to treat a wide range of diseases. This study evaluates the rational use of corticosteroid amongst hospitalized patients. Objectives: To investigate the utilization and evaluation pattern of corticosteroids in various department of tertiary care hospital. Methodology: A prospective observational study was conducted on 90 patients receiving corticosteroids in the various departments of ShriMahantIndiresh Hospital, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Patients receiving corticosteroid therapy were included in the study, exclusion of those patients who were of age less than 18, patients with psychiatric disease and those patients not willing to sign on inform consent form. Result: The study involved 90 patients to evaluate the appropriate use of corticosteroids. Majority of patients were of age group >60 years, followed by 41-50 years, 51-60 years, 31-40 years, 18-30 years respectively. Majority of corticosteroids were prescribed to females than males. Prednisolone was the mostly used corticosteroid (34.40%) followed by hydrocortisone (18.9%), budesonide (14.4%), methylprednisolone (11.1%), dexamethasone (11.1%), deflazacort (5.6%) and prednisone (4.4%). Total 16 ADRs were detected in the study. Total 24 drug interactions were found in 90 prescription, the majority of drug interactions were moderate 15 (62.50%) followed by major 5 (20.83%) and minor 4 (16.67%). Conclusion: There was lack of appropriate guidelines for use of corticosteroids and drug interaction reporting, which could be considered an emerging scope of pharmacy. Commonly geriatric population was more prone to diseases, for which steroids were used.

Assessment of drug utilization pattern of steroids in a district general hospital in Amravati region

“…Based on disease conditions, the various routes of administration were applied to the exposed steroids, and in some instances, only one route of administration was applied to the patients; hence this can be due to the difference in the inclusion criteria of the study. A similar study was conducted for evaluation of corticosteroid utilization patterns in a tertiary care hospital (Dabral and Devesh 2018). These all data suggested that among various dosage forms of steroids use, injection was most widely/frequently used, followed by topical and oral forms.…”

“…This will increase the adverse effects and can lead to dependence on these medications (Ambika et al 2014, Saraswat et al 2011. Many researchers has been reported the use of corticosteroid was irrational due to as there were a number of interactions observed mostly prescribed in geriatric patient (Dabral and Devesh 2018, Mirshad et al 2017, Nerurkar et al 2016, Stern 1996. Prescriptions need to be audited periodically to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness, to minimize the adverse effects, to provide critical feedback to prescribers and to analyse the execution of medical treatment standards.…”