Self-medication profile of ENT patients.
OBJECTIVE
To describe self-medication habits of patients with otorhinolaryngological disorders to characterize problematic aspects in order to manage and correct them.


METHODS
Descriptive.


METHODS
A multiple-choice questionnaire was used to obtain the data, consisting of 17 questions about self-medication habits. It was distributed to the patients assisted in our ENT clinic, in July/2003.


RESULTS
Approximately 83% of the admitted patients have practiced self-medication (without medical prescription). However, 73% of them stated that it wasn't mandatory to present a prescription in order to obtain the medicine. The most utilized drugs were: analgesics/antipyretics (90%), cold and flu drugs (78%), and NSAIDs (69%); antibiotics were the 8th (11%). Among the reasons or diseases patients believed to suffer from that justified the self-medication practice, we observed: headaches (76%), cold/flu (74%) and nonspecific febrile illnesses (56%); otitis, in general, was the last (12%).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the need for continuous educational programs about the risks of self-medication, besides appropriate governmental regulation and inspection.
Servidoni
Alexandre Barbosa
AB
Coelho
Liliane
L
Navarro
Marcos de Lima
Mde L
de Avila
Fernanda Gobbi
FG
Mezzalira
Raquel
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires