Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item Knowledge and expectations of parents regarding the role of antibiotic treatment of upper respiratory tract infections - a survey among parents attending a tertiary care institution with a sick child(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2006) Premaratna, R.; Rajindrajith, S.; Mettananda, C.; Balasooriya, H.; Fonseka, J.; Randeny, S.; de Silva, H.J.INTRODUCTION: Parents' knowledge and expectations regarding antibiotics contribute for antibiotic misuse inpaediatric practice. METHODS: Parents of children suffering from URTI, attending the OPD and Professorial Paediatric Unit of the Teaching Hospital, Ragama, were interviewed for knowledge, attitudes and practices during URTI pre-tested questionnaire by doctors from February to July 2005. Results: 235 parents (230 mothers) mean age 31.9 years (SD: 7.33) participated in the study. The level of education was; below grade 5:11 (4.7%), Grade 5-10: 142 (60.4%), grade 10-12:71 (30.2%) and higher education: 11 (4.7%). Of the 235,201 (85.1%) identified antibiotics as a component of treatment. However only 11 (4.7%) knew that antibiotics were against bacterial infections; 212 (90.3%), 189 (80.8%), 176 (75%), 165 (70.4%), 130(55,4%), 77 (32.8%) and55 (23.6%) identified them as treatment for cough, fever, phlegm, cold, sore throat, ear ache and headache either alone or combination. 116 (49.3%) and 119 (50.3%) thought that antibiotic treatment was important to cure the illness or for early recovery respectively. The expectation of being given an antibiotic for an URTI (always, 75%, 50% and 25% of the time and never) was 28 (12%), 39 (17%), 23 (10%), 119 (51%) and 23 (10%) respectively. Twenty (8.5%) had requested an antibiotic when it had not been prescribed; 12(60%) from apharmacy and 8 (40%) from the doctor. 172 (73%) claimed to complete the full course of treatment, while 18 (7.8%) kept the 'excess' antibiotics for future use. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge, expectations, demand and self medication with antibiotics seems to be low among parents in our population.Item Consumer knowledge and demand for antibiotics in Gampaha District(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2005) Premaratna, R.; Weerasinghe, M.; Vipulanayake, T.; Mettananda, K.C.D.; Balasooriya, H.; de Silva, H.J.INTRODUCTION: Misuse of antibiotics in clinical practice is common. Patients' demand has been identified as a cause for wide use of antibiotics. Demand for antibiotics is affected by consumers' knowledge, attitudes, and medical practice. METHODS: Patients and their relatives attending out patient clinics in Colombo North Teaching Hospital and two private consultation clinics in the Gampaha District were interviewed using a pre¬tested questionnaire to study their knowledge of antibiotics and behavior during a febrile illness. RESULTS: Total population 763 [(487 females); Mean age 37.6 (SD; 15.9)]. Proper awareness of antibiotics was observed in 51/763(6.6%); with an increasing trend with level of education (LOE). More than 90% would accept any treatment prescribed by the doctor while antibiotics were expected by 64/763(8.3%) with no difference to LOE. During a febrile illness 563 (73.8%) visited a general practitioner within the first 2 days. Only 2 (0.3 %) claimed to have self-medicated with antibiotics. 376/487 (76%) females and 180/276 (65%) males expected some treatment without investigations. 67/487 (16%) of females and 34/276 (12%) males claimed they would have changed the doctor if there was no improvement in the first instance. Only 122/763 (16%) were aware of the cause for the most recent febrile illness they had suffered. CONCLUSIONS: In our population, knowledge of antibiotics, self medication and demand for antibiotics is lower than in European populations. Most of the patients are ready to accept any treatment prescribed and antibiotics were expected only by a minority. Therefore, patient behavior may not play a major role in the misuse of antibiotics.