Prescription patterns in an intensive care unit of COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Tanvir Rahman; Md Saiful Islam; Shyamjit Paul; Md Momin Islam; Md Abdus Samadd; Rashmia Nargis Reyda; Md Raihan Sarkar

doi:10.1002/hsr2.1711

Prescription patterns in an intensive care unit of COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Health Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 16;6(11):e1711. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1711. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Authors

Tanvir Rahman¹, Md Saiful Islam², Shyamjit Paul¹, Md Momin Islam³, Md Abdus Samadd⁴, Rashmia Nargis Reyda¹, Md Raihan Sarkar⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.
² Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Division, BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Dhaka Bangladesh.
³ Department of Meteorology University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Pharmaceutical Technology University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background and aims: To reduce death rates for critical patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs), coronavirus (COVID-19) lacks proven and efficient treatment methods. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate how physicians treat severe and suspected COVID-19 patients in the ICU department in the absence of an established approach, as well as assess the rational use of the medication in the ICU department.

Methods: Between June 16, 2021, and December 10, 2022, a total of 428 prescriptions were randomly gathered, including both suspected (yellow zone) and confirmed (red zone) COVID-19 patients. For data management, Microsoft Excel 2021 was utilized, while STATA 17 provided statistical analysis. To find associations between patients' admission status and demographic details, exploratory and bivariate analyses were conducted.

Results: Of the 428 patients admitted to the ICU, 228 (53.27%) were in the yellow zone and 200 (46.73%) were in the verified COVID-19 red zone. The majority of patients were male (54.44%), and the age range from 41 to 60 was the most common (41.82%). No significant deviation was detected to the yellow and red groups' prescription patterns. A total of 4001 medicines (mean 9.35/patient) were prescribed. Antiulcerants, antibiotics, respiratory, analgesics, anticoagulants, vitamins and minerals, steroids, cardiovascular, antidiabetic drugs, antivirals, antihistamines, muscle relaxants, and antifungal treatments were widely prescribed drugs. Enoxaparin (67.06%) appeared as the most prescribed medicine, followed by montelukast (60.51%), paracetamol (58.41%), and dexamethasone (51.64%).

Conclusion: The prescription patterns for the yellow and red groups were comparable and mostly included symptomatic treatment. Respiratory drugs constituted the most frequent therapeutic class. Polypharmacy should be taken under considerations. In ICU settings, the outcomes emphasize the need of correct diagnosis, cautious antibiotic usage, suitable therapy, and attentive monitoring.

Keywords: Bangladesh; COVID‐19; ICU; prescription pattern.