STUDY OF DISEASE PROFILES IN 2000 PATIENTS ATTENDING TO OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL MEDICINE: A CLINICAL PHARMACIST'S OPINION

Background: The major ailments that command our attention today are Heart diseases, Stroke, Diabetes, AIDS, Cancer and mental disorders and, these are the object of our fears, While the physical symptoms are the leading reason for outpatient visits, a substantial proportion of physical complaints and minor illnesses remain poorly understood .Data shows that OPD visits for non-specific(62million) is more than for the known chronic ailments (17million )(1),The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms and diseases in outpatient departments of general medicine in a tertiary care hospital. AIM – To Study the disease profiles in 2000 patients attending to outpatient departments of General medicine Government General Hospital, Guntur: A Clinical Pharmacist’s opinion, between Februarys to June 2016. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and incidence of symptoms, diseases in common population. METHOD: The present study was a Non experimental prospective study conducted at Government General Hospital, Guntur during the period from February to June 2016.Patients attending the general medicine department with age >15 years, Patient’s demographic data were collected and evaluated. The collected data was analysed. RESULTS: In this study a 2000 patient data was collected and compiled in which minor illnesses account for 51.25% of the problems, which include Headache, Acid peptic disease, Myalgia’s, Fever etc. in the order of presentation. The major illnesses which include Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Gastritis, Cerebrovascular accident, etc. accounts for 33.60%. 15.15% diseases account for rare illnesses related to different systems which include Gastrointestinal, Respiratory and Central Nervous System.CONCLUSION: Minor ailments are predominantly seen than major diseases in Out-patient visits, because patients who participated in this study are from low socio economic status who lack knowledge about health care measures, so clinical pharmacists can provide counselling to patients about their dietary habits, personal hygiene, and disease prevention modalities and most importantly about their medications and side effects can reduce the morbidity.