title: Self-reported medical problems among dental patients in Western Uttar Pradesh, India.
abstract: Assessing the medical history of patients before any treatment is an essential aspect of the dentist's responsibility; however, many dental practitioners assume that their patients are systemically healthy so their medical history is often overlooked. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-reported medical conditions among a sample of dental school patients at the Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), India. Detailed medical histories were taken from 3,786 new dental patients in an outpatient setting. The demographic data, medical status, and use of medications from the charts were analyzed. Thirty-eight percent of the total patients had a positive finding in their medical history for at least one systemic condition. The most commonly reported systemic condition was hypertension (15.2 percent) followed by diabetes (11.4 percent), and 26 percent of the patients were taking at least one medication daily. The results of this study reflect the medical complexity of the increasingly aging population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Pilibhit Bypass Road, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 243006, India. drashishagg@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Sunil R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Panat
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talukder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014815:Vitamins