LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT USINGORAL ANTICOAGULANTS OF PATIENT WITH NON-VALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATIONAT MILITARY CENTRAL HOSPITAL 108

Abstract

Objective: To determine the level of knowledge about using oral anticoagulants of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation at Military Central Hospital 108. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study on 84 patients diagnosed with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation receiving anticoagulants at 108 Military Central Hospital from January 2021 to December 2021. Knowledge levels were assessed by using Obamiro’s oral anticoagulant knowledge questionnaire with 20 items. Results: Of the 20 criteria to assess the levels of knowledge among the patients, the criterion of “having to take the medication exactly as the doctor told it to” and “the three things that need to be done to reduce the risk of side effects of the drug” had a very low rate of correct knowledge found by the study results, accounting for 16.6% and 14.2% respectively. Assessing correct knowledge of patients taking Vitamin K antagonists: only 34.1% of patients knew the target INR range; regarding other knowledge assessment criteria, the results also ranged from 52% to 88 %. There was no statistically significant difference in knowledge level between the two groups using anticoagulant medicine. Conclusion: The patient’s correct knowledge regarding anticoagulants was at very low correct level; there was no statistically significant difference between in knowledge level the two groups