Adherence to management guidelines in acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea in children under 5 years old in primary health care in Botswana.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate health care providers' adherence to management guidelines for acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea in children under 5 years old in Botswana primary health care.


METHODS
Cross-sectional prospective field survey. Data collection was carried out through observation of consecutive consultations at 30 randomly assigned clinics and health posts in three purposely chosen districts.


METHODS
This study comprises 185 cases of acute respiratory infection and 85 cases of diarrhoea.


METHODS
Criteria for acceptable standards of history taking and physical examination for acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea were defined as well as criteria for categorizing the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription. The percentage of oral dehydration salts provided in cases of diarrhoea was calculated.


RESULTS
Acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea accounted for 270 (including 15 missing cases) of all main diagnoses (n = 539). In 262 cases (97%) health care providers were nurses or enrolled nurses; in 3% family welfare educators. Acceptable history taking, physical examination, and both combined in acute respiratory infection was found in 113 (63%), 32 (18%), and 28 (16%), and in diarrhoea in 45 (58%), 26 (34%) and 20 (26%) cases, respectively. Antibiotics were prescribed in 76 of 255 (30%) cases. Prescription was assessed as inappropriate in 56 of 76 (74%) of all cases; in 41 of 52 (79%) cases with acute respiratory infection, in none of the pneumonia cases, and in all 15 cases of diarrhoea. Oral rehydration salts were prescribed in 74 (87%) of the diarrhoea cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care providers' adherence to guidelines on history taking was suboptimal in acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea but poor on examination in both conditions. A high level of inappropriate antibiotic prescription was found in acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea. Overall, there is considerable scope for improving diagnostic and therapeutic management of these major childhood diseases in Botswana primary health care.
Boonstra
Eelco
E
University of Botswana, Department of Population Studies, Gaborone, Botswana. eelco.boonstra@enivest.net
Lindbaek
Morten
M
Ngome
Enoch
E
D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001902:Botswana; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008485:Medical Audit; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents