ABSTRACT
Upper respiratory tract infections [URI] are very common in general practice. Although viruses cause the majority of URI, many patients expect antibiotic treatment. At one Primary Health Care Center in Qatar, during October-November 2004, eleven hundred and eleven adult patients completed a short questionnaire on demographics, knowledge, attitudes, practices towards URI, and patient satisfaction. Four hundred and forty eight [40.3 percent] recognized viruses as the most common cause of URI; seven hundred and eighty-eight [70.9 percent] chose consulting a physician as the first line of action when contracting URI; 721 [64.9 percent] stated that management should be based on physician's diagnosis while 28 percent expected antibiotics. A majority of participants acknowledged the importance of counseling in their satisfaction but 49.6 percent reported dissatisfaction if antibiotics were not prescribed and 31.6 percent reported seeking antibiotics when not prescribed. Participants expecting antibiotics differed significantly regarding knowledge of causes of URI [p = 0.004]. There was no significant difference regarding factors affecting satisfaction based on antibiotic expectation. Results highlight the need for public education and counseling on etiology, course, and management of URI by physicians