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Medicine use practices in management of symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infections in children (≤12 years) in Kampala city, Uganda.
- Source :
- BMC Public Health; 9/21/2017, Vol. 17, p1-8, 8p, 6 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Medicines are commonly accessed and used for management of illness in children without a prescription. This potentially increases the risk of unwanted treatment outcomes. We investigated medicine use practices in management of symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infections among children (≤12 years) in households in Nakawa division, Kampala city.<bold>Methods: </bold>This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 390 randomly selected children. Data on use of medicines in children (≤12 years) during recent episode of acute upper respiratory tract infection was collected from their care takers using an interviewer administered questionnaire. A recall period of two weeks (14 days) was used in during data collection.<bold>Results: </bold>The prevalence of giving children non-prescription antimicrobial medicines was 44.8% (38.3-52.2). The most common disease symptoms that the children reportedly had included flu, 84.9% (331/390), cough, 83.1% (324/390), and undefined fever, 69.7% (272/390). Medicines commonly given to children included, paracetamol 53.1% (207/390), Coartem 29.7% (116/390), cough linctus 20.8% (81/390), amoxicillin 18.9% (74/390), Co-trimoxazole 18.5% (72/390), and diphenhydramine 15.4% (60/390). The major sources of medicines given to the children was hospital/clinic, 57.26% (223/390). Most of the children, 81% were given more than one medicine at a time. The majority, 62.3% (243/390) of the care takers who gave the children medicine during the recent illness were not aware of any medicine (s) that should not be given to children. The predictors of non-prescription use of antimicrobial medicines in managing symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infections in children included, medicines obtained from drug shop (PR: 1.45, CI: 1.14-1.85), medicines at home (PR: 1.8, CI: 0.83-1.198) and type of medicine (antimalarial) (PR: 2.8, CI: 1.17-6.68).<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Children are commonly given multiple medicines during episodes of acute upper respiratory tract infections with most antimicrobial agents accessed and used without a prescription in Kampala city, Uganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- RESPIRATORY infections in children
DRUG prescribing
DIPHENHYDRAMINE
ACETAMINOPHEN
AMOXICILLIN
ANTI-infective agents
HYDROCARBONS
ANTIMALARIALS
NONPRESCRIPTION drugs
ETHANOLAMINES
COMBINATION drug therapy
COUGH
FAMILIES
FEVER
RESEARCH funding
RESPIRATORY infections
CROSS-sectional method
ACUTE diseases
DISEASE complications
THERAPEUTICS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712458
- Volume :
- 17
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- BMC Public Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 125276687
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4770-1