A retrospective study on drug utilization in patients with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma in adults at a tertiary teaching hospital in Bengaluru

BackgroundDrug utilization plays a role in helping the health care system to understand, interpret and improve the drug use and continuous quality improvement. It plays an essential part of pharmaco-epidemiological studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the drug utilization trends in patients with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma in a tertiary teaching hospital in Bengaluru.Materials and methods100 prescriptions from patients with established diagnosis of acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma were assessed from the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and the data gathered was analysed using MS Excel.ResultsMajority of the prescriptions irrespective of severity received inhalation β2 agonist (formoterol) as a bronchodilator. Nebulization route was given for managing the acute exacerbations followed by inhalation route. Hydrocortisone was prescribed to all patients for managing acute exacerbations. Montelukast was used an adjuvant therapy. Most of them were prescribed combination therapy. Doxophylline was prescribed among all the methylxanthines.