Audit of management of respiratory infections among children

Objective: To study the pattern of drugs prescribing for acute respiratory infections among young children under 5 years and to establish the first st ep in auditing acute respiratory infections management in two large Primary Health Care Centers in Abha, Asir region. Methods: Three hundred and thirteen prescriptions of children less than 5 y ears old were selected randomly and evaluated for: age, sex, nationality, a nd drugs prescribed in two large Primary Health Care Centers in Abha city, Asir region, Saudi Arabia. The medical records of children who received ant ibiotics were further evaluated for: process of recording symptoms and sign s and appropriateness with diagnosis. Structures of acute respiratory infec tions care in both Primary Health Care Centers were evaluated in both cente rs using checklist and scoring system. Results: Common cold was the most common diagnosis encountered. Antibiotics were the most common prescribed drugs in both Primary Health Care Centers. Less than one third of files revealed appropriate recording of history and physical examination. Conclusion: There were inadequate structures in both Primary Health Care Ce nters which negatively affected the process of acute respiratory infections care in both centers. Urgent providing of those structures and establish c ontinuing medical education for the Primary Health Care Center team and hea lth education of the community about acute respiratory infections are two i mportant priorities at both Primary Health Care Centers.