Publication

Abstract : Objective: This study was carried out to find the types of diseases and the drug prescribing patterns in the children registered in the department of pediatrics of Jizan general hospital, Jizan, KSA. Methods: A prospective, cross sectional (descriptive) study was carried out in 1024 registered pediatric patients randomly selected from the month of November 2012 to April 2013 which consists of: 1. Types and percentage of diseases 2. Average number of drugs per prescription 3. Percentage of category of drugs prescribed Results: The major diseases found during this study were Respiratory Tract Infections [Upper (sinusitis, tonsillitis and rhinitis) and Lower (bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis)] along with some skin diseases like eczema and dermatitis (diaper, seborrheic, and intertriginous), and others like leishmaniasis, gastroenteritis, and parotitis. The average number of drugs used per patient was 3±1, and antibiotics were used most frequently than others. Prescription pattern of the drugs was like Antibiotics, Analgesics and Antipyretics were prescribed nearly all the patients, in some cases two antibiotics were also prescribed. Nasal decongestants, Anti-histaminic, expectorants and bronchodilators, germicidal & disinfectant, corticosteroids, antispasmodic, Gastric acid suppressants, Multi vitamins & iron supplements were also the part of prescriptions. Conclusion: In summary, there is a high level of exposure to medication in paediatric populations. The most frequently prescribed medications were antibiotics, Analgesics and Antipyretics, and Nasal decongestants. This is a reflection of the high frequency of infections and respiratory diseases in paediatric populations.