[Acute cough in infants: impact of national guidelines on medical practices in a French department].
OBJECTIVE
Guidelines have been published regularly since 2010 by the ANSM (the Health Products Safety Agency) advising against antitussive drugs for infants because of their inefficacy and their side effects (convulsions, respiratory congestion). Antihistamines, mucolytics, and terpene-based suppositories have theoretically disappeared from infant pharmacopoeia. We assessed the degree of compliance with these guidelines on the part of health professionals.


METHODS
From June 2012 to August 2012, 198 general practitioners and 44 pediatricians were assessed in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France by means of questionnaires. At the same time, an analysis of medical prescriptions was sought from the Regional Directorate of Medical Services (RDMS) of the PACA-Corse region Health Insurance.


RESULTS
The rate of noncompliance with the contraindications was 14.9% (17.7% general practitioners and 2.3% pediatricians). The RDMS study showed a slight decrease in prescriptions for antitussives not recommended from 2011 to 2012: -21% for pediatricians, -15.5% for generalist physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Continued educational and informative campaigns are therefore needed to stop medical prescriptions of cough medicines for infants, which should also involve parents.
Médecine pédiatrique, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France. Electronic address: fabienalauzet@hotmail.com.
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Alauzet
Direction régionale du service médical de PACA-Corse, 195, boulevard Chave, 13392 Marseille cedex 5, France.
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Banide
Direction régionale du service médical de PACA-Corse, 195, boulevard Chave, 13392 Marseille cedex 5, France.
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Pailhes
Médecine pédiatrique, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Blanc
Urgences pédiatriques, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Montaudié
Urgences pédiatriques, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Piccini-Bailly
Médecine pédiatrique, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Berlioz-Baudoin
Médecine pédiatrique, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Bégassat
Médecine pédiatrique, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Albertini
Médecine pédiatrique, pneumo-allergologie pédiatrique, hôpitaux pédiatriques de Nice, CHU Lenval, 57, avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
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Giovannini-Chami
D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000075202:Contraindications; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005100:Expectorants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005602:France; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced; D013488:Suppositories; D013729:Terpenes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000996:Antitussive Agents; D005100:Expectorants; D013488:Suppositories; D013729:Terpenes