Abstract
Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are of viral cause in 80% of cases and they constitute a major part of the primary health care practitioners’ workload with antibiotics commonly prescribed for these illnesses. The aim of this study was to explore antibiotic prescribing in patients with URTIs at Katutura Health Centre, Namibia. A descriptive, cross sectional, quantitative design based on patients’ prescriptions was used. Data were analyzed using Epi info statistical package version 7.1.1.14. The rate of antibiotic prescribing for patients with URTIs at Katutura Health Centre (KHC) was 78% (95% CI, 74%-82%). Further bivariate analyses of antibiotic prescribing (Response variable) and illness, age, gender and profession (exposure variables) showed that age and illness were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing (p<0.05) while gender and profession rank were not. In conclusion, the Ministry of Health and Social Services need to develop or adopt international strategies have proven efficacy in reducing antibiotic prescribing in URTIs
Highlights
Patients with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) constitute a major part of the primary health care practitioners’ workload, especially during winter [1] and as indicated by Kontarakis et al [2], primary health care practitioners’ account for the majority of antibiotic prescribing
Irrational use of antibiotics leads to wastage of resources, adverse effects which need more resources to be treated and patient misconception of these medicines, among others. It is against this background that the current study aimed to explore antibiotic prescribing in patients with URTIs by determining the rate of antibiotic prescribing in patients with URTIs, assessing the rational treatment of URTIs and comparing the costs of rational and irrational antibiotic use of URTIs
Irrational antibiotic prescribing is a global public health problem and according to Harris et al [12] URTIs are important targets for strategies aimed at reducing excess antibiotic use because antibiotics are frequently prescribed in these illnesses that are predominantly of viral etiology
Summary
Patients with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) constitute a major part of the primary health care practitioners’ workload, especially during winter [1] and as indicated by Kontarakis et al [2], primary health care practitioners’ account for the majority of antibiotic prescribing. Mazur [3] indicated that these infections are viral in 80% of the cases and do not respond to antibiotic therapy. Physicians continue to prescribe antibiotics even though they know that antibiotics are not effective against viral infections [4]. The World Health Organization [6] estimated that up to 60% of people with viral upper respiratory tract infection receive antibiotics inappropriately
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