1. Self-medication in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in northern Peru.
- Author
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Vasquez-Elera LE, Failoc-Rojas VE, Martinez-Rivera RN, Morocho-Alburqueque N, Temoche-Rivas MS, and Valladares-Garrido MJ
- Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to identify factors associated with self-medication in patients with COVID-19., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of patients with COVID-19 who self-medicated before admission to a hospital in Piura, Peru. Prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using generalized linear models with Poisson distribution family, log link function, and robust variance., Results: Out of 301 patients, 165 (54.8%) self-medicated before hospital admission, being more frequent self-medication with ivermectin (85.5%) and azithromycin (71.5%). The frequency of self-medication in those aged between 30-59 years was 2.53-fold higher than in those between 18-29 years. Male patients, dyslipidemia, smoking, and hepatic steatosis were associated with self-medication. Clinical characteristics associated with self-medication were fever, cough, headache, anosmia, dysgeusia, nausea/vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux., Conclusions: A high frequency of self-medication before hospital admission was observed in Peruvian patients with COVID-19, mainly of drugs without proven efficacy., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: All authors – none to declare., (GERMS.)
- Published
- 2022
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