title: A study on the drug utilization trends in the cardiovascular emergencies in a tertiary care hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the cardiovascular emergencies which were most frequently treated and to quantify the drug utilization trends in the cardiovascular emergencies, in terms of the Defined Daily Doses [DDD] and the prescribing prevalence in the cardiovascular emergencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prescription based study was undertaken in the Medicine ICU of the government medical hospital. The age, sex, diagnosis (only cardiovascular) and the drugs which were prescribed, were recorded for each patient. Also, the brand names and the generic names of the prescribed drugs were noted. The collected data was analyzed to study the drug utilization trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that the most commonly treated cardiovascular disease was IHD. The IHD was more in males than in females who were below 50 years of age and it was nearly equal in the age groups which were above 50 years. The use of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors was higher than that of the beta blockers and the calcium channel blockers. The patients with cardiovascular emergencies also had preceding associated diseases like diabetes mellitus and hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The protocol of the management which was followed by the college in the treatment of cardiovascular emergencies was competent enough, as the clinical outcomes of the patients were favourable. But there was a guideline incongruent prescribing behaviour which was statistically significant, for which there is a need to undertake large scale studies.
authors.affiliation: Tutor, Department of Pharmacology, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Medical College and Hospital , sangli, Maharashtra, India .
authors.forename: Shabbir Rafiq
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pendhari
authors.forename: Devendra Ramesh
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.forename: Shreyas Ramchandra
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Burute
authors.forename: Bapurao Motiram
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bite
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Defined Daily Dose (DDD); Prescribing prevalence; and Drugs utilization in ICU