Parental administration of antipyretics to children with upper respiratory tract infections without consultation with a physician
| Autor: | Tina Globočnik, Susanna Esposito, Tea Andabaka, Dalibor Vukelić, Bruno Baršić |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Lethargy Male Parents Pediatrics medicine.medical_specialty Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice Antipyretics Analgesics.non-narcotic Adolescent Fever Self Medication Epidemiology medicine Hypersensitivity Humans Antipyretic Prospective Studies Child Care Prospective cohort study Child Physician's Role Respiratory Tract Infections Acetaminophen Child care Respiratory tract infections business.industry General Medicine Child Day Care Centers Clinical Science Child Preschool antipyretics analgesics non-narcotic fever respiratory tract infections paracetamol acetaminophen analgesics non-narcotic Female business Self-medication medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | Croatian Medical Journal Volume 52 Issue 1 |
| ISSN: | 1332-8166 0353-9504 |
| Popis: | To evaluate the administration of antipyretics to children with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) by their parents or guardians without consultation with physicians, and compare epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients who received antipyretics and of untreated patients. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed in three pediatric clinics in Zagreb, Croatia, from March to June 2002. A total of 171 children aged from 2 to 14 years with symptoms and signs of URTI lasting more than 2 days and fever above 38 °C lasting more than 2 days were included in the study. Data were collected on the usage of antipyretics, patients' demographic and epidemiological characteristics, and clinical signs and symptoms. RESULTS: Antipyretics, predominantly paracetamol, were used in 29.8% of patients. Their usage was less frequent in children attending day-care centers (49% of treated and 70% of untreated children, P = 0.014) and in children with reiterated URTIs (33.3% of treated and 55.8% of untreated children, P = 0.008). However, it was more frequent in children with recent URTIs in the family (33.3% of treated and 7.5% of untreated children, P < 0.001). Overall, most clinical signs and symptoms of URTI were notably less pronounced in patients treated with antipyretics. CONCLUSIONS: Antipyretics use correlated with less pronounced clinical signs and symptoms of infection, which indicates their anti-inflammatory activity, but also with negative effects such as lethargy. It is necessary to educate parents on the positive and negative aspects of antipyretics use and on the optimal choice of an antipyretic drug. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|