Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Background: Acute infectious diarrheal disease is common public health problem
worldwide. It is the second leading cause of mortality in under-five children. It accounts
1.8 million deaths annually. There is estimation that 20-50% of antibiotics prescription is
inappropriate which results in an increased risk of side effect, higher rates of
antimicrobial resistance to enteric pathogens, inappropriate patient demand, and
increase health care cost. Factors that influence appropriateness of antibiotics use for
management of acute diarrhea are the insufficient number of qualified and competent
staffs, care giver preference, experience of the prescriber, patient load, age of the child,
lack of continuing medical education and supervision.
Objective: To assess the appropriateness of antibiotics prescription for the treatment of
acute diarrhea among under-five children in Gondar town health centers.
Methods: The study design was institution based cross-sectional type. Data was
collected by reviewing the charts/records of under five children treated in health centers
from September, 12, 2015 to September, 10, 2016.
Result: At least one antibiotic was prescribed for 66.2% of children who attended the
health centers. The overall proportion of appropriate prescription of antibiotics for acute
diarrheal management in this study was 46.4 % and Trimethoprim Sulfamethoxazole
was the main antibiotic inappropriately prescribed. Antibiotics prescription was higher in
children presenting diarrhea with fever plus vomiting plus cough compared to child
presenting with only diarrhea (p<0.001). prescriber having experience more than 26
years prescribe appropriate antibiotics more likely than prescriber having less than five
years of experience (p<0.001).
Conclusion and recommendation: the findings of this study show that less than half
of the children received appropriate antibiotics prescription for treatment of acute
diarrhea. The finding highlights need efforts to reduce the rate of inappropriate antibiotic
prescription for the management of diarrhea in children should be made by health
professionals through consistent use of national and international guidelines.
Key words: Appropriateness of antibiotics, diarrhea in children, acute diarrhea, Health
Centers, Ethiopia
