SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF FEMALE PATIENTS ATTENDING MOBILE MEDICAL CLINICS IN A RURAL BLOCK IN TAMILNADU

Logaraj M; Sathiyanarayanan S; Balaji R

doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i10.20585

Authors

Logaraj M Department of Community Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
Sathiyanarayanan S Department of Community Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
Balaji R Department of Community Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i10.20585

Keywords:

Symptomatology, Females, Medical clinics, Rural

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to find out the prevalence of symptoms not elsewhere classifiedâ€ under the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification among the female patients attending mobile medical clinics.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 7,124 female patients who attended weekly mobile medical clinics in a rural block in Tamil Nadu. Sociodemographic variables, symptomatology, patient history, and clinical examination details were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire.

Results: The five common symptoms affecting the study population were myalgia (18.3%), nasal congestion (13.6%), headache (13.1%), lumbar pain (12.5%), and knee pain (9.3%). The systems commonly affected among the female patients were in the order of general symptoms and signs (R50-R69), circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09), and Nervous and Musculoskeletal Systems (R25-R29). In the age group of 10â€“19 years and 20â€“39 years, the most common symptom was headache (25.2% and 18.8%, respectively). In the age group of 40â€“59 years and 60 years and above, it was myalgia (24.2% and 32.3%, respectively).

Conclusion: As pain being most common symptoms, an appropriate strategy and guidelines have to be developed to manage the problem of pain at primary care level.

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