A Study on the Usage of NSAIDS and Gastroprotective agents in an Orthopaedic Department

NSAIDs remains as a major choice for analgesis (pain-killing), antipyretic (fever-reducing) and in higher doses as an anti-inflammatory  agent in orthopaedics. The objective of the present study was to conduct a prospective observational study to collect data’s of patients those who were admitted in orthopedic department and thereby have assessment on the usage of NSAIDs and gastroprotective agents. A total of 68 subjects were included in the study, 57.35% (n=39) were male and 42.6% (n=29) were female. Maximum number of patients who received NSAIDs were in age group of 41-50 i.e.,26.4% (n=18), followed by 20.50% (n=14) 31-40 age group and 16.1% (n=11) were in between 51-60 age group. Only 8.8% (n=6) of patients were above 70 years of age and prescribed with NSAIDs. NSAIDs were mainly prescribed as the supportive treatment of fracture 41.1% (n=28) followed by Spondylosis 26.4% (n=18), Osteoarthritis 13.2% (n=9) and Joint dislocation 11.7% (n=8) etc. Diclofenac 75% (n=51) was found to be the commonly prescribed NSAIDs followed by Piroxicam 16.1% (n=11), whereas the least prescribed NSAIDs was found to be Etoxicoxib 2.9% (n=2). The result revealed that 51.4% (n=35) of the patients underwent Dual therapy followed by 48.5% (n=33) with Monotherapy. In this study 76.4% (n=52) patients were prescribed with Parenteral NSAIDs whereas, 23.5% (n=16) patients with oral route of NSAIDs and 5.8% (n=4) with topical NSAIDs. Around 89.7 %(n=61)of patients were co-prescribed with gastroprotective agents (GPA). Pantoprazole and Rabeprazole were the most frequently prescribed GPA which were accounted by 38.2% (n=26) followed by Ranitidine 10.2% (n=7).67.2% (n=41) were administered in oral route followed by 32.7% (n=20) parent rally38.2% (n=26).