European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF ANTIBACTERIAL DRUGS USED IN UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION IN CHILDREN IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Dr. Mohanish Vaidya, Dr. Manasi Limaye*, Dr. Abhijeet V. Tilak, Dr. Siddhi Raveendran, Dr. Nimish Narkar and Dr. B. T. Rane

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Infectious diseases like diarrhea, URTI are common among paediatric patients in India. Appropriate use of antibiotics is vital in reducing the mortality caused by bacterial infections1. However, antibiotics are often prescribed incorrectly and improperly for un-indicated conditions. Thus the present study was conducted to evaluate the prescription patterns of antibacterial drugs used in URTI in paediatric age group admitted to a tertiary care hospital and whether there is any deviation from standard protocol in the usage of the drugs. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted at Dr.D.Y.Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Center, Pune from January 2016 to December 2016 with sample size of 150 which included the diagnosed cases of URTI of either gender who are on none other than antibacterial drugs upto age of 14 years whose parents’ consent is obtained. For evaluation of the antibacterial prescription patterns, Modified Kunin’s criteria5 and Case Record Forms were used. The study was approved by Institutional Ethics Committee. Appropriate statistical calculations were done on Excel sheet. Results and Discussion: Among 150 cases, highest cases of URTI were males of less than 5 years old with male to female ratio of 1.2:1. The most common symptom was cough, present in 105 cases and throat congestion being the sign in 82 cases. 64 cases were diagnosed with common cold. Multiple antibiotics were given in 79 cases, most preferred was Cefpodoxime. Majority of the children were given oral antibiotics for 3-7 days. According to Kunin’s criteria, 55 cases fell under Category II. Conclusion: This study has found the need for a standard treatment guideline, taking into account the local sensitivity pattern of the organisms. The present study serves to highlight the current treatment practice of these infections in our hospital and pave the way for further interventions that can help implement the rational use of medicines.

Keywords: URTI, Antibiotic, Kunin’s Criteria, Paediatric.