Audit of Paediatric Prescriptions for the Common Paediatric Problems

Objectives: To compare the prevailing prescribing practices of paediatricians with minor and major diploma for common paediatric problems. Methodology: It was a Cross sectional study in which 10 % of children visiting the outpatient department of paediatrics, Hamdard university hospital with gastroenteritis and Acute respiratory infections, diagnosed according to UNICEF/ WHO protocol were enrolled, their prescriptions checked and results were entered in specially designed Performa. Results: Five hundred prescriptions were reviewed of which 308 were due to Gastro enteritis, 192 were due to respiratory tract infections1). Average numbers of drugs/ prescription were 3.33 ± 1.2. Paediatricians with minor diploma prescribed 3.5 ± 1.2 drugs/ prescription. Paediatricians with major diploma prescribed 2.8 ±1.2 drugs/ prescription (p-valve 0.32) Antibiotic in diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections (upper and lower respiratory tract infections were written in 81.7% cases by paediatricians with lower diploma and 77.7 % cases by paediatricians with major diploma (pvalve 0.27). In respiratory tract infections antihistamines were prescribed in 79.7% of cases by paediatricians with minor diploma and 69.5 % cases by paediatricians with major diploma (p-valve0.11). Anti emetic in Gastroenteritis were written in 69.1% cases by paediatricians with minor diploma and 56.2% cases by Paediatricians with major diploma (p-valve 0.021). More drugs and more antibiotic were given by doctors, with major diploma. Antibiotics were totally different than recommended by the National ARI programme, which the Paediatricians teach in Medical Colleges. Conclusions: The antibiotics prescribed for common Paediatric Problems were totally different than recommended by the National ARI programme which the Paediatricians teach in Medical College. Active intervention is needed to improve the quality of medical education of physicians who treat children, while in depth measures are required for the training of paediatricians.