1
01
ward in our environment since it does not require high
level of technical skill to perform and results are avail-
able within a short time. There is a need for a national
policy on antibiotic treatment of upper respiratory tract
infections including sore-throat that provides a more
rational antibiotic treatment of upper respiratory tract
infections. This recommendation has been made in ear-
lier paper on the subject . The populace should also be
educated about such policy and thus reduce demand for
antibiotics.
further emphasizes the need for education of our parents
about the causes of upper respiratory tract infections,
indication for antibiotic prescription and the danger of
indiscriminate antibiotic prescriptions. The irrational
parental demand for antibiotics may stem from a desire
for their child to get better faster. Parental education on
the aetiology and natural history of sore-throat may
change the extant attitudinal disposition. Recommending
other alternatives such as home fluids, soothing reme-
dies may relieve demands for antibiotics.
1
4
It would appear that lack of knowledge or fear of com-
plications is also engendering other negative behaviours.
For instance, almost a quarter of the respondents in this
study would change their children’s physician if they did
not prescribe an antibiotic. Such attitude puts undue
pressure on the physicians, especially the private practi-
tioner, who in a bid to retain their clientele might be
pressured to prescribe unnecessary antibiotics for every
sore throat. This attitude of unrealistic parental expecta-
tion contributing to inappropriate antibiotic prescription
In this study, the modality for data collection was by
interviewer administered questionnaire. This was to
ensure that the meaning of questions was similarly pre-
sented to the respondents irrespective of the level of
education and that all the questions were responded too.
In a self-administered questionnaire, the understanding
of the questions might be influenced by level of educa-
tion of the respondents and as such influence the
responses.
1
5
has been reported by another worker . The actual re-
quest for antibiotic prescription for nonspecific upper
respiratory tract infection had been reported to have in-
fluenced 49%1o6f physicians’ prescription of antibiotic in
another study.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the knowledge that most sore-throat are
5
In this study, 42% of the respondents would not be satis-
fied with a doctor who does not prescribe antibiotics for
sore throat. This perception of satisfaction linked with
physicians’ prescription of antibiotic is different from
findings in a study from a western country where par-
ents satisfaction correlated with time spent with physi-
cians rather than on prescription of antibiotics . The
attitude expressed by the western parents may stem from
better understanding of the disease process, the need for
and danger of inappropriate antibiotic prescription. This
self-limiting because of their viral aetiology, did not
seem to affect the disposition of the parents studied to
antibiotics use. Studies are needed to understand the
reasons for the incongruence in belief and practice. We
recommend the development of a national policy on
antibiotic treatment of upper respiratory tract infection
including sore-throat and the health education of parents
on aetiology of sore-throat and irrational antibiotic use.
Such education should be emphasized in the individual
parent where the child has a sore-throat.
1
7
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