Determinants of Antibiotics Prescribing for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections among Primary Health Care Physicians in Al-Khober Area, Saudi Arabia
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- Category: Vol. 79, June 2011
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Determinants of Antibiotics Prescribing for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections among Primary Health Care Physicians in Al-Khober Area, Saudi Arabia,AWWAD K. AL-ENEZI, LAMIAA E. FIALA, LAMIAA Z. ABU-ZAID, SANA ALSOLAMI and ATTIA TAHA
Abstract
Background: Respiratory tract infections are among the most frequently encountered clinical conditions and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are one of the most common reasons for consultations in primary health care centers. Antibiotics are often prescribed un-necessarily for URTIs around the globe. Identifying factors associated with the ubiquitous inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for URTIs will help develop effective interventions and decrease antimicrobial resistance.
Objective: To determine the clinical factors that affect prescription of antibiotics for URTIs by PHC physicians in Al-Khober area, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
Design: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire.
Setting: Primary health care centers in Al-Khober area. Saudi Arabia. The study had been conducted during the period from December 2009 to March 2010.
Subjects: Primary health care physicians in Al-Khober area. The number of consenting physicians participated in this study was 49 physicians.
Main Outcome Measures: To assess the clinical factors that might affect antibiotics prescription. These included fever (>38.5°C), throat exudates, cervical lymphadenopathy and presence or absence of cough.
Results: The overall response rate was 87.5%. High fever (>38.5°C), deteriorating general condition, cervical lymphad-enopathy, inflamed eardrums and exudates in throat made more than half of the respondents "definitely indicated" to prescribe antibiotics.
Conclusion: Primary health care physicians in Al-Khober area agreed that the severity of illness and clinical signs were the factors in favor of antibiotics treatment of URTIs. Inter-ventions to reduce antibiotics prescription would needed, first to educate PHC physicians to use more careful criteria for diagnosis and to reassure patients with URTIs as well as use of supportive measures. Secondly, it is needed to raise patients' awareness about appropriate indication for antibiotics use for URTIs.