Prescription Pattern in Smog-Triggered Asthma in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59644/oaphhar.4(2).276Keywords:
Prescription Pattern, Prescription Evaluation, Smog, Smog-Triggered Asthma, SmokingAbstract
In recent years, smog intensity has increased all over Pakistan, especially in the province of Punjab, causing severe health concerns in the public, especially in asthma patients. The Prescription pattern in this kind of smog-triggered asthma has not been studied yet. This study demonstrates the prescription pattern of medications as well as patients’ factors that are associated with asthma, influencing the prescription pattern. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the DHQ Bhakkar. A total of 211 patients (≥18 years) having smog-triggered asthma were included in the study. Categorical variables were observed by descriptive statistics as frequencies and percentages. The Pearson chi-square test was performed to assess the associations of important factors with medications prescribed, with a significance of p<0.005. Most prescribed medications were oral steroids (96.2%), followed by nebulized steroids (92.9%). A significant association of smoking was found with parenteral steroids (χ²=7.897, p=0.005), followed by theophylline (χ²=6.237, p=0.013), and magnesium (χ²=7.291, p=0.007). Similarly, male patients were prescribed oral steroids more frequently (p=0.028), anticholinergics (p=0.041), and magnesium (p=0.036) as compared to female patients. No significant association was found between age and prescription patterns. Smoking and gender are found to be major determinants in smog-triggered asthma prescriptions. The study emphasizes the need for proper prescription guidelines in smog-triggered asthma in Pakistan and across the world.
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