Disease pattern in patients presenting to a primary health center near Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

Introductions: Audits from bigger hospitals are commonplace but reports from
smaller institutions like PHC’s are rarely published. This study was done to find
the demographic attributes of patients presenting to Khopasi primary health
center and to analyze the disease pattern of these patients.

Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted at Khopasi PHC over six
months between October 2012 to March 2013. The data was collected from
the register kept in the OPD. Those with incomplete entries were excluded.
Simple statistical methods like means and percentages were used to analyze
the data.

Results: Total number of patients presenting to the out-patient department in
the study period was 3,108 of which 1,196 (62%) were females. Most patients
567 (18%) were from 5-14 years age group. Respiratory Tract Infection was the
most common cause 489 (16%) for these consultations. It was closely followed
by Ear Nose Throat infections 415 (13%) and Acid Peptic Disease 367 (11%).
Among children of <5 years, 270 (62%) were found to have acute respiratory
infections.

Conclusions: Most patients were young female. Infectious diseases like of
respiratory tract and Ear Nose Throat were for more than one-third of the
consultations.

Keywords: acid peptic disease, acute gastro-enteritis, primary health center,
respiratory tract infection