Evaluation of the Prescription Pattern of Drugs Used in Treatment of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pune: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an inflammation of female upper genital tract which includes inflammation of uterine endometrium, fallopian tubes, ovaries and peritoneum. PID, constitutes a major public health concern for women of reproductive age, potentially leading to significant sequelae impacting their fertility. PID is a frequent concern for younger women due to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and often associated with sexually transmitted pathogens. Aim: To evaluate the prescription pattern of drugs used in PID. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was done in Outpatient and Inpatient Department facility (OPD and IPD) of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department, of Dr. D Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Total 146 prescriptions were analysed in the study. Demographic factors, clinical symptoms, treatment facility and drug utilisation patterns among patients with PID were studied. The data was entered using Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis of demographic characteristics and drug utilisation pattern was studied using frequencies and percentages. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 33.84 (7.10) years and 97.3% of patients were married. It was noted that the most common presenting complaint was per vaginal discharge and infertility was the least common symptom. It was observed that the metronidazole (79.4%) and doxycycline (78.1%) were commonly used for the treatment. The most commonly prescribed group of drugs is antibacterial drugs, followed by Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and antifungal agents. Conclusion: The present study focused on understanding the drug prescription and trends with respect to PID patients. Women with PID reporting to this tertiary health care facility were mostly young adults (31 to 40 years). Metronidazole, doxycycline and Cefixime were the most frequently prescribed antimicrobials. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the antibacterial drugs prescribed are adhering the treatment guidelines by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines.