[Use of antibiotics in Swiss piglet production and fattening farms]. / Antibiotikaeinsatz in Schweizer Ferkel­erzeugungs- und Mastbetrieben.

INTRODUCTION: In 164 randomly selected Swiss piglet production farms and 101 fattening farms, the indication for antibiotic use in 2012/2013 was recorded and an animal treatment index (TBI) was calculated for each age group. Sows were treated on average 0.9 days per year mainly due to mastitis-metritis-agalactia (MMA). Suckling piglets were treated on average 0.5 days per production cycle, mainly due to diarrhea and polyarthritis. Weaned piglets were treated during 4.4 days, especially due to diarrhea, polyarthritis and wasting. In fattening pigs, treatments were mainly due to diarrhea and HPS-suspicion, and lasted on average 4.8 days. In sows, antibiotics were used prophylactically on 22.6% of the treatment days, in suckling piglets on 50.5%, in weaners on 86.1% and in fattening pigs on 79.0% of the treatment days. A prophylactic oral antibiotic group therapy did not have a significant positive effect on daily weight gain of fattening pigs, nor was it able to reduce the number of individual or group therapies. In farms with prophylactic oral group therapy, the mortality rate during the first two fattening weeks even tended to be higher (p=0.06) than in farms without oral group therapy. Highest priority critically important antibiotics were used in 22.6% of all treatment days in sows, in 37.5% in suckling piglets, in 17.2% in weaned piglets and in 27.3% in fattening pigs. In many farms, antibiotics were not prescribed and used according to the rules of "prudent use".

INTRODUCTION: Dans 164 exploitations suisses de production de porcelets sélectionnées au hasard et 101 exploitations d'engraissement, les données concernant l'utilisation d'antibiotiques en 2012/2013 ont été enregistrées et un indice de traitement des animaux (TBI) a été calculé pour chaque groupe d'âge. Les truies ont été traitées en moyenne 0,9 jour par an, principalement en raison d'une mammite-métrite-agalactie (MMA). Les porcelets allaités ont été traités en moyenne 0,5 jour par cycle de production, principalement en raison de diarrhée et de polyarthrite. Les porcelets sevrés ont été traités pendant 4,4 jours, en particulier en raison de diarrhée, polyarthrite et émaciation. Chez les porcs à l'engrais, les traitements étaient principalement dus à la diarrhée et à la suspicion d'Haemophilus parasuis (HPS) et duraient en moyenne 4,8 jours. Chez les truies, les antibiotiques ont été utilisés à titre prophylactique pendant 22,6% des jours de traitement, chez les porcelets nourris au lait pendant 50,5%, chez les porcelets sevrés pendant 86,1% et chez les porcs à l'engrais pendant 79,0% des jours de traitement. Une antibiothérapie prophylactique de groupe par voie orale n'a pas eu d'effet positif significatif sur la prise de poids quotidienne des porcs à l'engrais et n'a pas permis de réduire le nombre de thérapies individuelles ou de groupe. Dans les exploitations avec traitement prophylactique de groupe par voie orale, le taux de mortalité au cours des deux premières semaines d'engraissement avait même tendance à être plus élevé (p = 0,06) que dans les exploitations sans traitement de groupe par voie orale. Des antibiotiques d'importance critique de haute priorité («Highest priority critically important antibiotics¼) ont été utilisés dans 22,6% de tous les jours de traitement chez les truies, dans 37,5% chez les porcelets allaités, dans 17,2% chez les porcelets sevrés et dans 27,3% chez les porcs à l'engrais. Dans de nombreuses exploitations, les antibiotiques n'étaient pas prescrits ni utilisés conformément aux règles de «l'utilisation prudente¼.

What drives intentional overdose with non-prescription drugs? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Use of overdosage of Non-Prescription Drugs (NPD) among university students is a serious public health issue. However, there are no extensive studies that measured the prevalence of taking more than the recommended dose of NPD and/or identified the risk associated with this behavior among university students. OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence and associated risks of self-overdosage with NPDs in university students in United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted from January to April 2014, among 2875 students in three randomly selected universities. A structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect the responses of the students. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Out of 2875 students, only 2355 surveys were fully answered, returned back and included in the present study. Of 2355, more than half (1348; 57.2%) the participants reported using Oral NPD (ONPD) in the past 90 days before conducting the study and were asked to complete the survey. Only 290 (22%) of a total 1348 participants reported taking more than the recommended dose of ONPD in the previous three months before conducting the study. Analgesic/antipyretic (223, 16.5%) and anti-allergic (67, 4.9%) drugs were more than other classes of the ONPD, reported to be taken in a dose, more than the recommended dosage. The most common justifications for taking more than the recommended dose of ONPD among respondents were severe symptoms (6%), the belief that the recommended dose would not be sufficient to relieve the symptom (5%), the belief that a stronger dose would relieve the symptoms faster (11%), and previous experience (4%). Our results identified three risk factors for taking more than the recommended dose of NPD. High frequently drug-users of daily use (OR=3.494, 95% CI: 1.677-7.279) (P<0.001), and students from non-medical colleges had higher odds of taking more than the recommended dosage as compared to students from medical colleges (OR=1.486, 95% CI: 1.060-2.085, P-value<0.05). Furthermore\re, participants with a poly-pharmacy behavior had higher odds of taking overdosage of ONPD than single NPD users (OR=1.918, 95% CI: 1.440-2.555) (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: There are a sizable proportion of university students that use overdosage of NPD, but it is more serious issue when it comes to non-medical student. There is a need for educational programs designed to increase awareness among all university students and to motivate them not to use overdosage of NPD. Further studies are also required to investigate additional explanatory variables that could influence the practice of overdosage with NPD.