Abstract:
Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. It is a major global public health problem and the 3rd cause of DALYS.Antihypertensive pharmacotherapy is effective in lowering BP and prevention of its complications. With optimal BP control, majority of the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension can be prevented. The study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension in ESUTH, the prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs at the Medical Outpatient Clinic in ESUTH and prescribers compliance to the standard treatment guideline for the management of hypertension. The study was a 2 year cross- sectional retrospective study of the prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs at the Medical Outpatient Clinic in ESUTH from March 2013 to February, 2015. From the hospital register, all cases of hypertension that presented within the study period were identified. Their case files were retrieved and relevant data extracted. Patients less than 18 years of age and hypertensive patients that were not on any antihypertensive drug within the 2 years of study were excluded. Data were entered and analysed using Epi info statistical software version 17. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the ESUTH Ethics review committee. Of the 7487 patients that presented at the MOPD during the study period, 2014 of them were hypertensive giving an overall hypertension prevalence rate of 26.9%. The hypertensive prevalence rate among the male patient was 29.7% (1000/3369), while that for the female was 24.6% (1014 /4118).Out of the 2014 hypertensive patients, 1712 patients case file were found for analysis (85% retrieval rate). About 142 files were dropped due to incomplete data and analysis was based on 1570 case files. Majority of the hypertensive patients were male (58.2%, n=914), middle aged (41-60years), married 73.8% (n =1159) and mainly Ibos (92.3%). About 27.6% of them had co morbidity.Of the 1570 patients analyzed, 1.8% (n=29) of them were not on any drug, 15.4% (n=242) were on monotherapy and 72.8% (n=1299) were on combination therapy. Diuretic was the most frequently prescribed antihypertensive drug either single (6.5%) or in combination with other antihypertensive drugs prescribed (84.5%). There was 82.9% compliance with the standard treatment guideline with respect to the drugs prescribed. There was also a significant drop in the mean arterial systolic and diastolic blood pressure with the prescribed anti hypertensive.There was a high prevalence of hypertension from the study, with relatively good prescriber compliance to standard treatment guideline.
