Background: Wheeze associated lower respiratory tract infections occurring world-wide are prevalent most commonly in childhood. Observational drug utilization studies help to evaluate, interpret and improve drug use as well as monitor the efficacy and safety of drugs prescribed. There was no previous documentation on drug utilization pattern of wheeze associated lower respiratory tract infections in the pediatric age group. Therefore, this study analyses the prescription pattern and adverse effects observed in such disorders in children attending the Pediatric outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital in Chidambaram.

Materials and Methods: 100 prescriptions from the Pediatric department of Raja muthiah Medical College and hospital were analyzed. Data collected from parents or care givers relating to wheeze associated respiratory disorders was evaluated for prescription pattern, drug efficacy, adverse effect and compliance observed in polytherapy.

Results: Majority of the children irrespective of severity received inhalation of β2 agonist levosalbutamol as a bronchodilator and sodium chloride (Nacl) nebulization compared to oral formulations in children. Antibiotics were used in almost all the prescriptions since most of them were of infective etiology. Adverse effects were minimal for drugs administered by nebulization.

Conclusion: Polytherapy was the main stay of treatment than monotherapy in infective wheeze associated disorders in children. Formulations such as hypertonic saline nebulization and levo salbutamol nebulization was found to be most commonly used in children. Among the bronchodilators. FDC of salbutamol with ipratropium bromide was more frequently used.

Keywords: Wheeze associated disorders, nebulization, inhalational β2 agonists, drug utilization study.

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Arthi S

Post graduate, Department of Pharmacology, Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Chidambaram 608002, India