title: Paediatric prescribing in Karachi.
abstract: To assess amount of drug overuse we studied drug prescribing for common childhood problems by 65 general practitioners (GPs) and 29 paediatricians. A total of 2433 encounters between GPs or paediatricians and children under five years of age were observed. The presenting complaints were fever in 18%, cough in 9%, both fever and cough in 21%, vomiting in 20% and diarrhoea in 41% of encounters. Antibacterials were prescribed in 49% of encounters, analgesics and antipyretics in 29%, antiemetics in 8% and injectables in 15%. Antidiarrhoeals were prescribed in 41% encounters with children reported to have diarrhoea. Ampicillin and cotrimoxazole were the two common antibacterials prescribed by both GPs and paediatricians. Antibacterials were prescribed in significantly larger number of encounters with GPs than in those with paediatricians. Mean encounter time of patients with GPs was 3.4+/-2.7 minutes and with paediatricians 9.7+/-4.1 minutes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, The Aga Khan University, Karachi.
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: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014839:Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000930:Antidiarrheals; D000932:Antiemetics; D010406:Penicillins; D000667:Ampicillin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination