ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTION IN A PAEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FROM A LEVEL II HOSPITAL IN THE CENTRAL REGION

Authors

  • Fátima Ribeiro Pediatric Department of Hospital Infante D. Pedro
  • Sónia Regina Silva Pediatric Department of Hospital Infante D. Pedro
  • Inês Nunes Vicente Pediatric Department of Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra
  • Sílvia Almeida Pediatric Department of Hospital Infante D. Pedro

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v22.i4.9753

Keywords:

Antibiotics, emergency department service, pediatrics, prescription

Abstract

Introduction: The discovery of penicillin, in the late 1920s, revolutionized science and brought medicine into the modern era. Since then, many other antibiotics appeared on the market. Nowadays, one of the biggest problems in medicine is the indiscriminated use of antibiotics, which has led to the emergence of resistant bacteria. In this context, an appropriate use of antibiotics is essential to the maintenance of their own effectiveness. There are very few studies on antibiotic prescription from Paediatric Emergency Services in Portugal.

Objective: Characterize oral antibiotics prescription in our Paediatric Emergency Service Unit.

Material and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records from Alert ® computer database of children who attended the Paediatric Emergency Service Unit a randomly chosen day a month (a total of 30 days), from January 2008 to June 2010.

Results: During the study period, 4317 children (meaning 144 children/day) were observed in the Paediatric Emergency Service Unit. Oral antibiotics were prescribed to 400 children (9,3%). The amoxicillin was the most prescribed antibiotic and acute otitis media was the most common diagnosis.

Discussion: We concluded that there is a good balance in the prescription of oral antibiotics in our Paediatric Emergency Service Unit. Nonetheless, we propose some actions to improve oral antibiotic prescription.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bricks LF. Uso judicioso de medicamentos em crianças. J

Pediatr (Rio J) 2003; 79:S107 -S114.

American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious

Diseases. Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious

Diseases. 29th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy

of Pediatrics; 2012.

Rodrigues F, Calvino J, Januário L, Lemos L. Medicamentos

prescritos num Serviço de Urgência Pediátrica. Acta Pediatr

Port 2005; 36:273 -6.

Lemos L, Rodrigues F. Medicamentos prescritos no Serviço

de Urgência Pediátrico. Saúde Infantil 2003; 25: 57 -9.

Melo -Cristino J, Serrano N, Grupo Português de Bactérias

Patogénicas Respiratórias. Estudo Viriato: Actualização de

dados de susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos de bactérias

responsáveis por infecções respiratórias adquiridas na co-

munidade em Portugal em 2001 e 2002. Rev Port Pneumol

; IX: 293 -310.

Lemos L, Rocha, G. A utilização de antibióticos num serviço

de urgência de pediatria. Saúde Infantil 1995; 17:5 -16.

Caldeira L, Remísio E, António A, Aguair P, Fonseca A, Fa-

ria Vaz A, et al. Prescrição de antibióticos para infecções do

tracto respiratório em Portugal Continental. Rev Port Clin Ge-

ral 2004; 20:417 -48.

Lemos L. A utilização de antibióticos em crianças e jovens no

ambulatório. É urgente prescrever menos e melhor. Mundo

Médico 2003; 28:64 -6.

Chiappini E, Principi N, Mansi N, Serra A, De Masi S, Ca-

maioni A, et al. Italian Panel on the Management of Pharyngi-

tis in Children. Management of acute pharyngitis in children:

summary of the Italian National Institute of Health guidelines.

Clin Ther 2012; 34:1442 -58.

Norma da Direção Geral de Saúde – Diagnóstico e tratamen-

to da amigdalite aguda em idade pediátrica, 26/12/2012

Published

2016-09-05

How to Cite

1.
Ribeiro F, Silva SR, Vicente IN, Almeida S. ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTION IN A PAEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FROM A LEVEL II HOSPITAL IN THE CENTRAL REGION. REVNEC [Internet]. 2016Sep.5 [cited 2024Mar.29];22(4):216-9. Available from: https://revistas.rcaap.pt/nascercrescer/article/view/9753

Issue

Section

Original Articles