title: Management of children with acute respiratory infections (ARI) by general practitioners in Multan - an observational study.
abstract: A knowledge, attitude and practices (K.A.P.) survey was conducted among doctors working as general practitioners (GP) in Multan, for diagnosis and management of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children under five years of age. GPs in Multan were not familiar with national ARI control programme and rational drug use guidelines. They rarely asked about symptoms describing severity of disease while taking patient histories and did not look for signs of severe pneumonia during physical examinations. Most patients diagnosed as URTI (upper respiratory tract infection) received oral antibiotics and those with pneumonia received injectable antibiotics. Other drugs prescribed included cough syrups, antihistamines and antipyretics. The average number of drugs prescribed per patient was 3.4. The doctors were deficient in providing home care advice for sick children to the caretakers. Average time spent by doctors on each patient was two minutes and twenty-three seconds. A combination of biomedical and social factors help to perpetuate this irrational prescribing behaviour of the GPs. Continuing education programmes for doctors in general practice about ARI management in children and rational use of drugs and health education of the public may improve the current prescribing practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Nishtar Medical College, Multan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pervez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baig
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010808:Physical Examination; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists