Survey on drugs to treat lumbar disc herniation at Nam Can General Hospital, Ca Mau province

Abstract

Herniated discs of the lumbar spine have a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. To relieve pain and improve clinical conditions, drug therapy is often used as an important part of the patient care process. To describe the characteristics of patients undergoing treatment for lumbar disc herniation and the use of medication for lumbar disc herniation. The study was conducted using a retrospective descriptive method at the medical records storage room of Nam Can General Hospital in Ca Mau province, Vietnam, based on the medical records of inpatient cancer patients who were prescribed pain medication. During the study period, eligible medical records were selected from patients who were admitted and treated at the research center according to the specified criteria, from January 1, 2020, to December 1, 2020. The total actual sample size obtained during the study was 74 cases. The proportion of female patients with lumbar disc herniation was higher than that of male patients. The majority of patients belonged to the 40-59 age group and had occupations related to heavy labor. Most patients did not have any traumatic factors, and lumbar disc herniation usually had a sudden onset. The main sites of pain were L5 and L4, and the pain was aggravated by movement or sneezing. Paracetamol was the most commonly used pain medication, followed by dexibuprofen and etodolac. Mecobalamin, eperison, and methocarbamol were commonly used supportive medications. The majority of patients experienced pain relief after 12 weeks of treatment, although some patients did not achieve desired results. This study provided insights into the use of medication for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation in patients. These findings can support patient classification and management, as well as provide valuable information for further research and the development of more effective treatment approaches for this condition.