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Approach to prescribed antibiotic therapy in pediatric patients of a health unit, Tungurahua-Ecuador

Abstract:

Introduction: Upper respiratory infections are the main childhood disease, patients under 5 years of age receive more antibiotic prescription, and therefore, the risk of antimicrobial resistance increases. Aim: To address the antibiotic therapy prescribed in pediatric patients from a health unit in Tungurahua-Ecuador. Methodology: 91 clinical histories of patients between 1 and 6 years old, who received outpatient care during the months of July to October 2019, and who in their prescription according to their diagnosis, required antibiotic therapy were analyzed. The most prevalent diseases and most prescribed antibiotics during the study were determined, comparing by correspondence between the prescription issued and the one indicated in the therapeutic protocol of the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador. Results: Upper respiratory tract infections reached 83.52% of the diagnoses found and among them, tonsillitis was the most frequent. Macrolides with 50.55% were the most prescribed drugs. When estimating the correspondence between the prescriptions during the research period and those indicated in the official document, it was found that the prescription of second-choice antibiotics with 38.46% exceeded those of first choice, which only reached 14.29% and these, in turn, were surpassed by the prescription of other antibiotics with 47.25%. Conclusions: the antibiotic therapy used for pediatric respiratory infections was not adjusted with the first and second choice drugs, established in the official therapeutic protocol, thus, it is necessary to review and update these documents, considering the epidemiological realities and antimicrobial resistance.