Frequent unregulated use of antibiotics in rural Cambodian infants.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
; 114(6): 401-407, 2020 06 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32307551
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Despite a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Cambodia, few studies have assessed health-seeking behaviour and the use of antibiotics by caregivers of young children in Cambodia.METHODS:
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of infants <12 months of age and their caregivers, assessing the frequency of reported illness, common symptoms and associated health-seeking behaviour through structured questionnaires administered by trained fieldworkers at a home visit. In a subset of these participants, ages 4-8 months with no acute malnutrition, we conducted a 3-month surveillance with fortnightly home visits.RESULTS:
Of 149 infants (ages 1-11 months, 54.4% male) enrolled in the cross-sectional study, 76 (51.4%) reported symptoms of diarrhoea, fever or cough in the previous 14 d, with associated use of antibiotics reported in 22 (14.8%) infants. In 47 infants enrolled in the longitudinal surveillance, there were 141 reported episodes of illness in 44 (94%) infants with 21 infants (45%) reported to have received antibiotics in 32/141 (22.7%) episodes. Amoxicillin was the most commonly reported antibiotic in both surveys (68% [40/59 episodes reporting the use of antibiotics]).CONCLUSIONS:
Antibiotic usage is high in this population and appears to be occurring largely outside of the formal healthcare system.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rural Population
/
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Japón