Abstract
Objective To study antibiotic usage pattern in acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children. Design A descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting Five medical wards of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo. Patients One hundred children between 2 months and 12 years with ARI. Method Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Information recorded in the Bed Head Ticket was also used. Results Thirty nine children with ARI were given antibiotics prior to hospital admission. 71 children with ARI were given antibiotics after hospital admission. Only 24 children had clinical, laboratory or radiological evidence of bacterial infection. Conclusion 47% children with possibly non-bacterial ARI had been unnecessarily prescribed antibiotics in the ward setting.
Highlights
acute respiratory infections (ARI) are viral in origin, antibiotics need not be prescribed routinely[5]
It is well known that ARI is one of the illnesses most frequently associated with abuse of antibiotics[6]
The commonest physical signs noted in our study were crepitations and/or rhonchi, found in 64% of children with ARI
Summary
ARI are viral in origin, antibiotics need not be prescribed routinely[5]. It is well known that ARI is one of the illnesses most frequently associated with abuse of antibiotics[6]. Presumptive antibiotic usage for ARI remains a common practice in paediatrics despite evidence that no therapeutic benefit is derived for the patient and sometimes harmful consequences result[5]
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