Use of medications for secondary prevention in stroke patients at hospital discharge in Australia
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 2014, 36 (2), pp. 384 - 393
- Issue Date:
- 2014-01-01
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| IJCP 2014 (Secondary prevention of stroke).pdf | Published Version | 247.21 kB |
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Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability. Significant proportions (33 %) of stroke presentations are by patients with a previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Consequently, the stroke management guidelines recommend that all ischaemic stroke patients should receive three key evidence-based preventive drug therapies: antihypertensive drug therapy, a statin and an antithrombotic drug therapy (anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet). Objective: To determine the rates of utilization of the three key evidence-based drug therapies for the secondary prevention of stroke and to identify factors associated with use of treatment at discharge. Setting: Five metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales, comprising two tertiary referral centres and three district hospitals. Method: A retrospective clinical audit was conducted in the study hospitals. Patients discharged with a principal diagnosis of ischaemic stroke during a 12-month time period (July 2009-2010) were identified for review. Main outcome measure: The rate of utilization of each of the three key evidence-based drug therapies and the factors associated with use of treatment at discharge. Results: A total of 521 medical records were reviewed. Of these, 469 patients were discharged alive with a mean age of 73.6 ± 14.4 years. Overall, 75.4 % were prescribed an antihypertensive agent at discharge versus only 65.7 % on admission (P < 0.05). Three hundred-sixty patients (77.6 % of the eligible patients) were prescribed a statin at discharge (compared to only 43.9 % on admission, P < 0.05), of whom 74.0 % received monotherapy. Almost all (97.6 %) eligible patients were prescribed an antithrombotic drug therapy at discharge, of whom 68.5 % were prescribed monotherapy and 28.2 % were prescribed dual therapy. Only 60.0 % of eligible patients were discharged on all three key guideline recommended secondary preventive drug therapies. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that hypertension (OR 6.67; 95 % CI 4.35-11.11), hypercholesterolemia (OR 2.04; 95 % CI 1.32-3.23), and discharge destination (OR 0.22; 95 % CI 0.10-0.48) were associated with the utilization of all three guideline recommended therapies. Conclusion: There is a scope for improvement in implementing the stroke management guidelines when it comes to prescribing secondary preventive drug therapies using antihypertensives, antithrombotics and statins. Appropriate risk/benefit assessment is indispensable for optimal prescribing and maximizing patient outcomes, particularly in older people. © 2014 Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie.
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