Objective: To analyse the prescription of antibiotics for acute respiratory infections (ARI) at our Health Centre.
Design: An observational crossover study.
Setting: Primary Health care. San Gregorio de Telde Health Centre, Gran Canaria.
Patients and participants: Systematic random sampling of 368 clinical cases with ARI. 196 women (53.26%) and 172 men (46.73%), with an average age of 33.26 +/- 1.97.
Measurements and main results: Antibiotics were prescribed for 42.66% of ARI. Family doctors used them less than general ones (38.67% against 63.04%, p < 0.0001), and on the afternoon lists they were used less than in the morning (33.82% against 52.35%, p < 0.001). In chronically ill patients they were used less than symptomatic treatment (42.16% against 57.83%, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences found between their use and the appearance of complications (37.5% with Antibiotherapy against 62.5% without it) or successive consultations (45.16% with antibiotics against 54.83% without them). They were used more in those aged over 60 (48.97%) and in those who attended less (51.56%). Average cost per patient treated with Antibiotherapy was 2,508.48 +/- 258.80 pesetas against 694.28 +/- 78.67 pesetas for the patient treated symptomatically (p < 0.0005).
Conclusions: We are using Antibiotherapy inadequately in our field. We propose that quality control studies to detect and correct problems of this type should be undertaken. In our case corrective measures with a later reevaluation should be applied.