Research Article
Prasanth N. V. and Vinod B.
Abstract
A prospective surveillance study on the prevalence and influential determinants of polypharmacy in hospitalized geriatric patients was conducted in a tertiary care referral hospital in south Malabar region of Kerala. This study was conducted in the major seven departments of the hospital including General medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Orthopaedic, Pulmonology and Gastroenterology departments. The patients were categorized based on specific criteria for the purpose of assessing the correlation between the prevalence of polypharmacy and these influential determinants. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPS version 17.0. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Chi-square test, was employed for assessing the degree of association between the three influential determinants of polypharmacy and its’ prevalence. The prevalence of polypharmacy was found to be highest in Cardiology department followed by Orthopaedic, Nephrology, Neurology, Pulmonology. General medicine and the least in Gastroenterology department. The Influential determinants of polypharmacy were identified as: The Influential determinants of polypharmacy were identified as: Age, Co morbidities and Length of Hospitalization.