Audit of management of respiratory infections among children.
OBJECTIVE
To study the pattern of drugs prescribing for acute respiratory infections among young children under 5 years and to establish the first step in auditing acute respiratory infections management in two large Primary Health Care Centers in Abha, Asir region.


METHODS
Three hundred and thirteen prescriptions of children less than 5 years old were selected randomly and evaluated for: age, sex, nationality, and drugs prescribed in two large Primary Health Care Centers in Abha city, Asir region, Saudi Arabia. The medical records of children who received antibiotics were further evaluated for: process of recording symptoms and signs and appropriateness with diagnosis. Structures of acute respiratory infections care in both Primary Health Care Centers were evaluated in both centers using checklist and scoring system.


RESULTS
Common cold was the most common diagnosis encountered. Antibiotics were the most common prescribed drugs in both Primary Health Care Centers. Less than one third of files revealed appropriate recording of history and physical examination.


CONCLUSIONS
There were inadequate structures in both Primary Health Care Centers which negatively affected the process of acute respiratory infections care in both centers. Urgent providing of those structures and establish continuing medical education for the Primary Health Care Center team and health education of the community about acute respiratory infections are two important priorities at both Primary Health Care Centers.
Al-Khaldi
Y M
YM
Health Science College for Boys, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. yahiammh@hotmail.com
Al-Sharif
A I
AI
Gilban
K S
KS
Al-Jaser
A O
AO
Al-Hamami
Q M
QM
D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D012529:Saudi Arabia