Kazys Simanauskas, Rima Gaidamovič, Vytautas Kasiulevičius, Aušra Deksnytė, Ramūnas Aranauskas, Karolina Palinauskaitė
Abstract
Incidence of acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) ranges from 30 to 50 percent of total adult sick time.
Object. The main object is to establish if more expensive ARI therapy shortens the duration of the ailment.
Tasks. To establish the number of days on the sick-list, the cost of treatment and treatment plan for patients with acute respiratory infection. To analyze the factors` (cost of treatment, the patients` gender, age, use of certain medications) effect on the number of sick-list days, to compare results with other articles.
Methods. Retrospectively 202 patients` ambulatory cards were analyzed. Patients were older than 18 year old with ARI, were treated in the VUL SK Family Medical Center from 2010 to 2013 October-February, had their sick-list, received symptomatic non-specific treatment.
Results. The mean of sick-list duration of patients with acute respiratory infection was 4.3 days (from 1 to 12 days, SD 2,1days). The cost of the treatment was 0 – 123,40Lt, mean-40,5Lt (SD 23,2Lt). Commonly prescribed medicines for ARI was pharyngeal disinfection agents (67,8%), NSAIDs (60,4%), an immune stimulants (41,1%), local nasal decongestants (35,6%), sea water (29,7% ) and mucolytic drugs (28,7%). The duration of sick list is increasing as increases the price of the treatment (p =0,079). Also the patients over 46 years old tend to have their sick-list 0,83 day longer than 31-45 years old ones (p=0,071). Women tend to sick 0,58 day longer than men (p =0,065).
Conclusions. The mean of sick-list duration of patients with acute respiratory infection is 4,3days, the mean cost of treatment is 40,5 Lt. The most frequent drugs for ARI is pharyngeal disinfection agents, NSAIDs, immune stimulants. Patients over 45 years old tend to suffer from ARI longer than 31-45 years old. Women tend to be ill longer than men. The duration of sick-list increases as increases the price of the treatment. ARI treatment with mucolytic drugs, herbal preparations and inhalations makes illness longer.
doi:10.5200/sm-hs.2013.090
Keyword(s): acute upper respiratory tract infection
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2013.090
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