[The pediatric prescription according to its origin and the motive for the consultation in a basic rural health area].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the paediatric prescription in a rural health district in terms of the origin and reason for consultation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
Garraf Rural Health District, Barcelona.


METHODS
The 3 basic care paediatrics units in the district.


RESULTS
1068 attendances of children of both sexes under 15 were collected. Recorded on each visit to the paediatrics clinic were: age, sex, reason for consultation (RC), and, if medicine was given, the product prescribed and the origin of the prescription. The number of children receiving treatment increased progressively with age. 87% +/- 2.8% of prescriptions originated with the paediatrician. Therapeutic groups of respiratory apparatus and systemic anti-infection drugs accounted for 69% +/- 2.9% of all prescriptions. Only 2.3% +/- 0.5% had fixed-dose associations. The most common RC was upper-tract respiratory infection, mainly treated with a single therapy (76.6% +/- 6.1%). In the case of the second most common RC, acute bronchitis, 94.6% +/- 4.2% of all cases received drugs treatment with single therapy or two simultaneous treatments. Acute tonsillitis was mainly treated with antibiotics (86.4% +/- 6.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequencies of the pathology groups detected in the Health District correlate with other studies' findings. Analysis of the origin of prescriptions shows the high decision-making capacity of the Health District's paediatricians. The pharmacological profile employed is good, though it could be improved.
Pérez
M T
MT
Dirección de Atención Primaria Alt Penedès-Garraf y Area Básica de Salud Garraf Rural, Barcelona. mperez@altpg.scs.es
Serrano
J A
JA
Gatell
A
A
Calvet
A
A
Díez de Ulzurrun
M
M
Orellana
P
P
Esteras
J
J
Hernández
J
J
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013030:Spain
Prescripción pediátrica según origen y motivo de consulta en un área básica de salud rural.