title: Antibiotic knowledge and self-care for acute respiratory tract infections in Mexico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine knowledge of and self-treatment with antibiotics among medically-insured adults in Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey among 101 adult patients seeking care for acute respiratory tract infections in a family medicine clinic in Mexico. Knowledge scores were calculated as a composite of correct, incorrect and don't know responses. Factors associated with antibiotic knowledge and antibiotic self-treatment were explored with bivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  47% of participants were taking antibiotics prior to the visit, 20% were self-treating. Antibiotic knowledge was highly variable. Many participants believed common non-antibiotic treatments for colds and coughs were antibiotics, such as ambroxol (45%), Desenfriol (45%) and paracetamol (44%). Older participants (>40 years) had better knowledge scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-treatment with and misperceptions about antibiotics are common among medically insured adults seeking medical attention in Mexico.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, California 94118, EUA. ralphg@medicine.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: Alma Ethelia
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: López-Caudana
authors.forename: Tulia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: González-Flores
authors.forename: Janaki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jayanthan
authors.forename: Kitty K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.forename: Hortensia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reyes-Morales
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents