ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of the physicians who attend to patients with community infections who are responsible for most of the antibiotic prescriptions made in the community setting. Furthermore, the evolution over the last 10 years in regards to the treatment habits of the most frequent infections in Primary Health Care (PHC) was studied and prescription behaviors were analyzed in relationship to the acquaintance and attitude of the participating physicians. A data collection sheet from 1,411 prescriptions made by 855 physicians from different specialties was used to conduct the study. This represents a statistically significant sample nationwide both from the point of view of the physicians involved in the treatment of infectious diseases in PHC as well as regarding to the prescriptions they have written. The study reveals the amplitude of respiratory and pararespiratory disease with oral antimicrobial agents, particularly beta-lactamics, and the significant advance in the last 10 years in the use of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid as treatment of choice. Treatment duration was somewhat longer while the number of containers prescribed was less than in the previous study. This would be related to the use of more spaced doses of the antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, the study reveals some discrepancies between attitudes and events of the physicians in the approach to certain diagnoses. Key words: Behavior. Primary care physicians. Prescription. Antimicrobials agents.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use , Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Primary Health Care , Adult , Aged , Child , Humans , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study has aimed to know the criteria used by the Spanish medical practitioners/family doctors (MP/FD) when choosing an antimicrobial agent in their daily practice and to compare it with that existing one decade ago. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional study performed with a structured personal interview to 450 MP/FDs randomly chosen with representativeness on the national level. The field work was made by specialized personnel in the last quarter of the year 2006. A 95.5% confidence interval margin was proposed, with a sample error = 4.7%, for maximum dispersion response (p=q=50). RESULTS: The parameter considered most when choosing an antibiotic treatment (spontaneous response) is clinical efficacy (two out of every three doctors). Clinical efficacy is following by the dosage regime and tolerability/safety, which was the principal parameter expressed ten years ago. Following these are antibacterial spectrum, administration route, price and bacterial resistances. However, they considered that the latter significantly influence clinical efficacy and when they are not relativized with other parameters, the doctors state that they take them into account <
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Family Practice , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Cross-Sectional Studies , Drug Utilization , HumansABSTRACT
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Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adult , Human papillomavirus 18/metabolism , Human papillomavirus 18/pathogenicity , Papillomavirus Vaccines/administration & dosage , Spain , Primary Prevention/education , Human papillomavirus 18/classification , Human papillomavirus 18/genetics , Papillomavirus Vaccines/therapeutic use , Spain/ethnology , Primary Prevention/methodsABSTRACT
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No disponible
