Introduction: Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors were initially used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and subsequently, it was shown to be useful in heart failure among patients with or without diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of empagliflozin use among patients with heart failure in an outpatient department of medicine in a tertiary care centre.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with heart failure attending the outpatient Department of Internal Medicine from 1 December 2022 to 30 May 2023 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. All patients with heart failure in the given study period were included. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval.
Results: Out of 550 patients, 188 (34.18%) (30.22-38.15, 95% Confidence Interval) received empagliflozin. The mean age was 55.11±9.99 years. A total of 124 (65.95%) were male. The mean duration of use was 104.97±63.16 days. Among the adverse effects, electrolyte imbalance was present in 14 (7.44%), hypotension in 14 (7.44%), and acute kidney injury in 12 (6.38%).
Conclusions: The prevalence of empagliflozin use among patients with heart failure was found to be lower than mentioned in the guidelines.
Keywords: heart failure; outpatient care; patient safety; SGLT-2 inhibitors.