Main Article Content

Abstract

BACKGROUND

SNCU (Sick New Born Care Unit) is meant to reduce the case fatality among sick newborns, either born within the hospital or outside including home delivery. The study of prescribing pattern is a part of the medical audit and seeks to monitor, evaluate and if necessary, suggest modification in prescribing practices to make medical care rational and cost effective.


MATERIALS AND METHODS


This is a record based observational study carried out in sick new born care unit, at a tertiary care hospital in south India. The study was conducted for a period of 6 months from Jan 2017 to June 2017. The data of 144 neonates admitted was collected from the records of SNCU. The recorded data were analyzed by Microsoft office excel 2007.


RESULTS


In the present study, the pattern of drug use in 144 sick new borns was assessed. There was male predominance. Majority of the sick new borns were admitted in early neonatal period. About 21% being preterm , 32% of them were low birth weight and most common observed reason for admission to SNCU was Respiratory distress syndrome(41%) followed by  Premature delivery (15%), neonatal jaundice(14%)  , meconium aspiration syndrome(9%). Most commonly prescribed drugs were Antibiotics (90.3%)   followed by Vitamins K (38.2%), Minerals (26.4%), Antacids (22%), Antiprotozoal (18.8%), Antiepileptics (14.6%). Among antibiotics amikacin (85.42%) was the most commonly prescribed followed by Piperacillin +Tazobactum (70.84%), Meropenam (27%), Cefotaxim (9.7%), Linezolid (6.25%) and Vancomycin (2.8%). 


CONCLUSION


Neonates being vulnerable group due to immaturity of their body functions, great care needs to be taken to minimize the number of drugs per neonate. Data reported in this study about various drugs prescribed, antibiotics being of major concern will be helpful in establishing priority agendas for future drug studies. The main aim of our study is to encourage the treating physicians for creating specific priorities for developing standard guidelines in drug usage specifically for neonates.

Keywords

SNCU Prescribing pattern Neonates

Article Details

How to Cite
Uma Maheswari Nagireddy, Gopinadh Ganji, Rajesh Kancherla, Rajesh Kancherla, & Hima Bindu Gujjarlamudi. (2021). Prescribing pattern of drugs in SNCU at a tertiary care hospital in South India. International Journal of Research in Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics, 7(3), 265-270. https://doi.org/10.61096/ijrpp.v7.iss3.2018.265-270

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