title: [Cetirizine and respiratory tract infections in opinion of Polish doctors].
abstract: Antihistamines are very popular cold treatments. 9640 prescriptions (4069 men and 5391 women) were analysed during the January -March 2006 period. The informations of polish doctors opinions were gathered from questionnaires. The patients studied suffered from respiratory infections (common cold - 32%, laryngitis - 21%, sinusitis - 19%, bronchitis - 18%, tonsillitis - 10%). In 1621 (16.8%) persons antibiotics were applied. Among them the most common amoxycilline (41%), macrolides (26,4%) and cephalosporines (22.8%) were prescribed. The coexistence of repiratory infection with allergic disease was confirmed in 6181 (65%) patients. The combination of antihistamine - cetirizine (Alermed, Lekam, Poland) with other medications were applied in every patient treatment. Anti-inflammatory properties in 36%, allergy in anamnesis in 14% and allergic symptoms in 28% were pointed out by polish doctors as the main reasons for prescriptions of cetirizine. Only 7% of doctors admitted in survey that they always prescribed antihistmines for respiratory infections. Duration of illness was shorter than seven days in most patients. In polish doctors opinions cetirizine may be applied in respiratory infections, because of its effects in alleviating clinical symptoms and in shortening of illness duration. Especially this treatment is indicated when coexistence of respiratory infection with allergic disease is confirmed. Additionally cetirizine is safe and good tolerated drug. However, further controlled studies are necessary to confirm these data.
authors.affiliation: Military Institute of Heath Service in Warsaw, Poland, Ward of Immunology and Clinical Allergology, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of National Defence.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jahnz-Rózyk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017332:Cetirizine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D017332:Cetirizine