Demographic study on disease prevalence and their treatment pattern in a local hospital of a semi-urban community

Abstract

Diseases are an inevitable aspect of society and thereby their appropriate treatment is an important responsibility of the medical community. Before instilling any therapy, proper understanding of the pathophysiology of the ailment, is of utmost importance. The next important aspect is the role played by experience and evidence based practices by physicians and the entire health care team, in finding the best possible cure for the ailment. The study was carried out to find out the prevalence of diseases and treatment pattern in village of Pilani. This is a review generated on the basis of analysis of patient cases. A total of 1,135 patient cases were analysed over a period 4 years ie January 2005-December 2008. Respiratory tract infection. Asthma, Fever and Anxiety were commonest aliments urging people to seek medical attention. This is also in agreement with the natural settings of the area as Pilani is a place struck constantly with sandstorms, both extremities of season and with a huge population of illiterate people, predominantly farmers and labour class. The analysis was done after direct observation of prescription and monitoring patient signs and symptoms. Physicians were found to follow both, experience and evidence based prescription practices. A large number of prescriptions included cephalosporin antibiotic-mostly third generation, many a times slightly higher than prescribed doses, mainly due to the resistance pattern of pathogens, observed in the community. At the same time patients were found not completing the antibiotic course and so spent on an average 5 days in the hospital mainly attributed to illiteracy, poverty and poor