Vol 14, Issue 11, 2021 Online - 2455-3891 Print - 0974-2441 TREATMENT PATTERN OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL OF NORTHERN INDIA SUMAN LATA*, VIJAY KHAJURIA, VINEETA SAWHNEY Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Kathua, Maharashtra, India. Email: suman150672@gmail.com Received: 27 May 2021, Revised and Accepted: 14 September 2021 ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of present study was to assess the treatment pattern in the COVID-19 patients. Methods: The present study was a hospital-based prospective observational conducted in Government Medical College Kathua (UT Jammu and Kashmir) on COVID-19 positive confirmed cases from December 2020 to January 2021. Consent was taken from patients who were willing to participate in the study. The details of presenting complaints and treatment received by them and outcome of management was recorded and evaluated from their treatment files. Results: A total 56 patients of COVID-19 were enrolled for the study. Majority of them were males (60.71%) and maximum of the patients between 18 and 60 years constituted 69.6%. COPD (28.5%), severe anemia (21.42%), and diabetes mellitus and hypertension (19.64% each) were common comorbidities. Sore throat, dry cough, and breathlessness were common presenting symptoms. Pattern of antibiotics and antivirals revealed that azithromycin was frequently prescribed (87.5%) followed by hydroxychloroquine (44.64%), linzolid (21.42%), ceftriaxone (19.64%), and remdesivir (14.28%). Majority of patients (>50%) were treated with steroids, while all patients received multivitamins and Vitamin C (100%) and nearly 40% were administered zinc therapy. Conclusions: Azithromycin, hydroxyquinine, remdesivir, and steroids were frequently prescribed in patients of COVID-19. Steroids were administered in oral, inhaler or in injection forms. Multivitamins including Vitamin C were given to all patients. Most of patients had comorbidities including COPD, diabetes mellitus type 2 and severe anemia. Keywords: Coronavirus disease-19, Remdesivir, Steroids. INTRODUCTION Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the third viral infection after sever acute respiratory syndrome, (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome originally reported from Asia [1,2]. The first case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and now pandemic worldwide. It is caused by a virus known as SARS corona virus-2 and was initially named as novel coronavirus or 2019-N-COV [3]. India has currently the largest number of confirmed cases in Asia [4] and has the second highest number of confirmed cases in world after the United States of America. There have been 111,102,016 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,462,911 deaths all over world till February 22, 2021. India has also recorded 11,005,850 confirmed cases and 156,385 deaths in India up to 22 february 2021 [5]. However, the death rate in our country is far less than developed world [6]. Infection occurs when virus-containing particles exhaled by an infected person, either as respiratory droplets or aerosols, get entry into the mouth, nose, or eyes of other person who is in close contact [7]. Symptoms of coronavirus disease often vary, but mostly people have fever, cough, breathing difficulties, fatigue, and loss of smell and taste. In severe cases kidney failure, high fever, multi organ failure, dyspnea, hypoxia is observed [8]. Although specific treatment eludes, but preventing measures play pivotal role in combating disease including physical or social distancing, frequent hand washing, quarantine, and ventilation of indoor spaces, face masking, avoiding public gathering, touching of eyes, nose, face by hands, healthy diet and lifestyle, and surface cleaning. Several vaccines have been developed and various countries have initiated mass vaccination campaign [9]. Symptomatic treatment is given in COVID-19 patients as there is no definitive therapy. It includes treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures. Drug controller of India on January 1, 2021, has approved the emergency or conditional use of Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, AZD 1222 marketed as Covishield is developed by the University of Oxford in association with serum Institute Pune [10]. On January 2, 2021, vaccine BBV152 marketed as Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech in association with Indian council of medical research and national institute of virology received approval from drug controller general of India for is emergency usage [11]. METHODS A hospital-based observational study conducted in isolation ward and intensive care unit of Govt. Medical College Kathua in collaboration with the department of pharmacology. Study population A total of 56 patients were enrolled during span of 40 days of study, from ending of November 2020 to January 2021. Data were obtained by examining their case records sheets for treatment prescribed and demographic profile after obtaining consent. Inclusion criteria The following criteria were included in the study: ● PCR positive confirmed Covid-19 patients ● Patients More than 18 years of age ● Both genders. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2021v14i11.42345. Journal homepage: https://innovareacademics.in/journals/index.php/ajpcr Research Article