RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To analyse the qualitative composition of medication prescribed to paediatric patients, in function of the intrinsic value of the medication and active principles used, and to evaluate risks run by children through being exposed to medication. DESIGN: An observational, descriptive, crossover study. SETTING: Paediatrics service of Puerto de la Torre Health Centre (Málaga); serving a fundamentally urban population, with rural areas round about. PARTICIPANTS: All the patients seen during two consecutive weeks of November 1994. 15 cases of the 457 seen were excluded. The unit of analysis was a visit. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Age, reason for consultation and medication prescribed at each attendance were recorded. Four age groups were defined: A (0-12 months), B (12-36 months), C (36-60 months) and D (> 60 months). On the basis of the initial records, the following quantitative variables per visit were broken down: number of drugs; number of drugs with high intrinsic value (HIV); number of drugs with low intrinsic value (LIV); number of active principles; number of HIV active principles; and number of LIV active principles. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of medical prescription in the attendance sample was 85.1%. It was highest in group C and lowest in group A. Average medication per attendance was 1.36 +/- 0.08. Group C was identified as the group with the highest average of drugs prescription, HIV drugs, active.
