DRUG USE STUDY FOR ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION IN CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE
ABSTRACT: Acute respiratory
infection (ARI) is the commonest illness in children and the leading cause of
morbidity and mortality in many developing countries. It comprises
approximately 50 % of all illness in children under five years. Even though
usually viral in origin and of a self-limiting nature, various study indicate
that antibiotic prescribing for ARI is inappropriately high.
Objective: This study was aimed to assess general practitioners' (GPs)
prescribing pattern for acute respiratory infection in children seen in private
practices.
Method: This study is carried out in a cross sectional study design.
Participants were GPs and pharmacies in Yogyakarta Special Province. Data on
patient and measure of respiratory rate were obtained from GPs' office and data
on prescribing were searched at all pharmacies in the province.
Result: All pharmacies and 92.27% of GPs participated in the study. The
average number of drug item prescribed for children with ARI was 3.74. The most
widely used drugs for ARI were antibiotics followed by paracetamol, ibuprofen,
chlorpheniramine maleate, phenobarbital, vitamin-C, dextromethorphan, glyceryl
guaiacolate, dexamethasone, prednisone, vitamin-B6, ephedrine HCI, vitamin BI,
and vitamin B2. Medication error was commonly found in the study. More than 60%
children with ARI received drugs in either overdose (27.51%) or under dose
(41.12%). Wrong preparation were detected in 24.07% prescriptions. It was also
found that more than one fifth of children with ARI received drugs in wrong
frequency of administration. Risk predictor for prescribing antibiotics were
fever, abnormal respiratory rate, and duration of common cold symptom of more
than 2 days.
Conclusion: ARI in children was often treated unnecessarily. Medication
error was also commonly found in the treatment of children with ARI visiting
GPs. Physicians must be encouraged to improve their prescribing practices by
always catching up with current best research evidence.
Key words: acute respiratory
infection - inappropriate prescribing - medication error - general
practitioners - emergence of resistance
Author: Iwan Dwiprahasto Iwan
Dwiprahasto
Journal Code: jpkedokterangg050008
