A Simulated Client Exploration of Nonprescription Dispensing of Antibiotics at Drugstores for Pediatric Acute Diarrhea and Upper Respiratory Infection in Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract Background The excessive consumption of antibiotics is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance, especially in children. Children are often being advised antibiotics for viral infections. In developing countries, the drugstores are a prime source of easy access to nonprescription antibiotics. Also, in Pakistan, their irrational use is an “everyday routine”. The study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the dispensing of nonprescription antibiotics for children at drugstores of Lahore, Pakistan.Methods Using the pediatric acute diarrhea and acute upper respiratory infection as disease scenarios, a simulated client, cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan to explore the antibiotics’ ease of availability at both categories of drugstores (pharmacies and medical stores) from November 1st, 2019 to January 31st, 2020. Chi-square (x2) test was used to compare the differences in practices of different categorical variables. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to analyze the association of various factors with antibiotics dispensing.Results Antibiotics were dispensed without prescription in 456 (59%) of 773 simulated visits out of which 425 (93.2%) were dispensed on the advice of the drugstore staff. The qualified pharmacist was available in only 164 (21.2%) cases. Of 386 visits for acute diarrhea and 387 for acute upper respiratory infection, nonprescription antibiotic dispensing occurred in 259 (67.1%) and 197 (50.9%) visits respectively. The considerable differences (p-value < 0.05) were observed between the practices of the towns, disease scenario presented, categories of drugstores, and pharmacist-supervised drugstores. Conclusions The inappropriate dispensing practices were prevalent to a large extent at the drugstores and antibiotics were effortlessly obtainable without prescriptions. The quality of the services provided, especially by the non-pharmacist staff, was also not satisfactory. Therefore, the Drug Regulating Authority of Pakistan must enforce strict implementation of drug laws at the drugstores without delays especially in major cities to help curb the felonious use of antibiotics.

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Anesthesia timing for children undergoing therapeutic cardiac catheterization after upper respiratory infection: a prospective observational study

Minerva Anestesiologica ◽

10.23736/s0375-9393.20.14293-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 86 (8) ◽

Author(s):

Kan Zhang ◽

Siyuan Wang ◽

Mengqi Li ◽

Chi Wu ◽

Liping Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Observational Study ◽

Respiratory Infection ◽

Cardiac Catheterization ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Upper Respiratory Infection ◽

Upper Respiratory

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Do Children Who Experience Laryngospasm Have an Increased Risk of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection?

Anesthesiology ◽

10.1097/00000542-199609000-00005 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 85 (3) ◽

pp. 475-480. ◽

Cited By ~ 107

Author(s):

Mark S. Schreiner ◽

Irene O'Hara ◽

Dorothea A. Markakis ◽

George D. Politis

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Respiratory Infection ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Control Group ◽

Upper Respiratory Tract ◽

Upper Respiratory Infection ◽

Airway Surgery ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Upper Respiratory

Background Laryngospasm is the most frequently reported respiratory complication associated with upper respiratory infection and general anesthesia in retrospective studies, but prospective studies have failed to demonstrate any increase in risk. Methods A case-control study was performed to examine whether children with laryngospasm were more likely to have an upper respiratory infection on the day of surgery. The parents of all patients (N = 15,183) who were admitted through the day surgery unit were asked if their child had an active or recent (within 2 weeks of surgery) upper respiratory infection and were questioned about specific signs and symptoms to determine if the child met Tait and Knight's definition of an upper respiratory infection. Control subjects were randomly selected from patients whose surgery had occurred within 1 day of the laryngospasm event. Results Patients who developed laryngospasm (N = 123) were 2.05 times (95% confidence interval 1.21-3.45) more likely to have an active upper respiratory infection as defined by their parents than the 492 patients in the control group (P < or = 0.01). The development of laryngospasm was not related to Tait and Knight's definition for an upper respiratory infection or to recent upper respiratory infection. Children with laryngospasm were more likely to be younger (odds ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.87-0.99), to be scheduled for airway surgery (odds ratio = 2.08, 95% confidence interval 1.21-3.59), and to have their anesthesia supervised by a less experienced anesthesiologist (odds ratio = 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.7) than children in the control group. Conclusion Laryngospasm was more likely to occur in children with an active upper respiratory infection, children who were younger, children who were undergoing airway surgery, and children whose anesthesia were supervised by less experienced anesthesiologists. Understanding the risk factors and the magnitude of the likely risk should help clinicians make the decision as to whether to anesthetize children with upper respiratory infection.

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