Frequency of Self-Medication with Antibiotics amongPatients Presenting with Common Infectious Diseases

Abstract

This research study aimed to determine how often patients treatedthemselves with antibiotics when they came to the Department of Medicine, MTI/Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar withcommonID complaints. An explorative, cross-sectional designwas usedwith 211 adults aged between 18 and 60 years who had acutelowerGI infections and upper respiratory or lower urinarytractinfections. Of these patients, the study revealed that 69.7%hadengaged in self-medication with antibiotics in the previous6months to admission. The highest level of self-medicationreportedin the respondents was reported in gastro-enteritis (74.7%), respiratory tract infections (68.5%), and urinary tract infections(61.5%). The augmented choice of antibiotics was amoxicillinat38.1%, ciprofloxacin at 22.4%, and metronidazole at 19.7%. Self-medication or the use returned by purchase accounted for 52.4%of the antibiotic prescriptions at community pharmacies. Multiplelogistic regression analysis revealed that secondary education(OR=2.31, 95% CI: 1. Age (χ2: 43-3.72), employment status(χ2=1.76, 95% CI: 1.15-2.69), and previous antibiotic experience(χ2=2.87, 95% CI: 1.89-4.36) were the demographic variables thatexplained self-medication behavior. 45 of themreportedclinical
improvement by discharge, of which 43.5%hadclinical improvement, and 21.8% developed clinical deteriorationsorcomplications. The findings underscore the need for bias extensionfor addressing antibiotic self-medication, and its contributiontoward IMR.

Keywords: Self-treatment with antibiotics, diseases, resistancetoantimicrobials, access to healthcare, prescription, patients, population health