Parental Malpractices Regarding Antibiotics Use in Early Childhood with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal University, Egypt

2 Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Suez Canal University, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Despite the fact that more than 90% of upper respiratory infections in children are viral in origin, there is a high frequency of Antibiotics overuse in children who come with these infections. Concerning, the overuse of Antibiotics in children, which is frequently observed, is causing an increase in microbial resistance among the pediatric population. Aim: Assess parental malpractices regarding Antibiotics use in early childhood with upper respiratory tract infections. Study design: Descriptive correlational design Setting: outpatient pediatric clinics of Suez Canal University hospital and Medical Complex Hospital in Ismailia city. Sample: non-probability purposive sample of 220 homogenous women who have preschoolers with upper respiratory infections were included. Study tools: Data was collected using structured interviewing questionnaire. Results: There was statistically significant relation between total level of knowledge and age, occupation, and level of education of the studied mothers also; there was statistically significant relation between total malpractices scores and occupation, level of education and income of the studied mothers, while there was no statistically significant relation between total malpractices scores and age of them. Conclusions: Less than half of the studied mothers had unsatisfactory knowledge, and less than two thirds of them had unacceptable practices when it came to giving Antibiotics to their preschoolers who had upper respiratory tract infections. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between mothers’ knowledge and their practices. Recommendations: Mothers were expected to attend educational sessions in order to improve their understanding and behavior about the use of Antibiotics on their children.

Keywords