Self-medication in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in northern Peru

Luis E Vasquez-Elera; Virgilio E Failoc-Rojas; Raisa N Martinez-Rivera; Noelia Morocho-Alburqueque; Mario S Temoche-Rivas; Mario J Valladares-Garrido

doi:10.18683/germs.2022.1305

Self-medication in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in northern Peru

Germs. 2022 Mar 31;12(1):46-53. doi: 10.18683/germs.2022.1305. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Authors

Luis E Vasquez-Elera¹, Virgilio E Failoc-Rojas², Raisa N Martinez-Rivera³, Noelia Morocho-Alburqueque⁴, Mario S Temoche-Rivas⁴, Mario J Valladares-Garrido⁵

Affiliations

¹ MD, Gastroenterology Service, Cayetano Heredia Hospital, 150 Independencia Avenue, Piura 200104, Peru.
² MD, MSc(c), Research Unit for Generation and Synthesis Evidence in Health, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, 505 La Fontana Avenue, Lima 15012, Peru.
³ MD, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru, Scientific Society of Medical Students of National University of Piura, Marcelino Castro Gamboa Avenue, Piura 15806, Peru.
⁴ MD, National University of Piura, Piura, Peru, Scientific Society of Medical Students of National University of Piura, Marcelino Castro Gamboa Avenue, Piura 15806, Peru.
⁵ MD, Universidad Norbert Wiener, 440 Arequipa Avenue, Lima 15046, Peru.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to identify factors associated with self-medication in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of patients with COVID-19 who self-medicated before admission to a hospital in Piura, Peru. Prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using generalized linear models with Poisson distribution family, log link function, and robust variance.

Results: Out of 301 patients, 165 (54.8%) self-medicated before hospital admission, being more frequent self-medication with ivermectin (85.5%) and azithromycin (71.5%). The frequency of self-medication in those aged between 30-59 years was 2.53-fold higher than in those between 18-29 years. Male patients, dyslipidemia, smoking, and hepatic steatosis were associated with self-medication. Clinical characteristics associated with self-medication were fever, cough, headache, anosmia, dysgeusia, nausea/vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux.

Conclusions: A high frequency of self-medication before hospital admission was observed in Peruvian patients with COVID-19, mainly of drugs without proven efficacy.

Keywords: Peru; SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; public health, environmental and occupational health; risk factors.

GERMS.