title: Differences in self-reported and observed prescribing practice of general practitioners and paediatricians for acute watery diarrhoea in children of Karachi, Pakistan.
abstract: Practice of 60 general practitioners (GPs) and 26 paediatricians for acute watery diarrhoea in children was observed. Later, these GPs and paediatricians were interviewed to record their self-reported prescribing behaviour. Fifty-two percent of the GPs and 12% of the paediatricians reported to prescribe antibiotics, but 77% of the GPs and 85% of the paediatricians were observed prescribing antibiotics for acute watery diarrhoea. Regarding antiamoebics, no difference was seen in number of self-reporting and observed GPs, but significant difference was seen in paediatricians. Of the paediatricians, only 12% reported to prescribe, but 62% were observed prescribing antiamoebics. Similarly, kaolin compounds were observed to be prescribed by smaller number of GPs (63%) than self-reporting ones (80%). Of the paediatricians, 31% reported to prescribe but 38% were observed prescribing kaolin compounds. These results show differences between self-reported and observed drug prescribing practices for acute watery diarrhoea in children. This difference was much wider in paediatricians than in GPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Nizami
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Bhutta
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000639:trends; D005194:Family Practice / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010154:Pakistan; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000639:trends*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D011446:Prospective Studies