Treatment Seeking Practices for Diarrhea and Acute Respiratory Infections in Haryana: Need to Curb High Antibiotic Use

Abstract

Background: Acute Respiratory Infection and Diarrheal infection are two life threatening but preventable diseases. In India, 30-35% hospital admissions are for ARI. A similar trend is seen in case of diarrheal diseases accounting to nearly one third of pediatric admissions and 17% of deaths. Objectives: To assess the treatment seeking practices, especially antibiotic and ORS use for ARI and diarrhea. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted in various subcentres of 10 districts (Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat, Rewari, Bhiwani, Narnaul, Ambala, Fatehabad, Panipat and Kaithal) of the state of Haryana aimed at covering 25 children per sub centre randomly selected and spatially separated. A total of 2914 children were assessed during this study. Field workers interviewed caretakers of children in various villages of each sub centre to collect information from 5 children per village on an average. Results: A total of 36% children reported of an acute respiratory infection, diarrhea was observed in a total of 9% cases and both ARI as well as diarrhea were found in 2%. Out of all the ARI cases surveyed, 27.1% caretakers had resorted to home care, antibiotics were given by 41.7% caretakers & 13.3% caretakers took the children to seek medical advice. In case of diarrhea, 10.4% caretakers gave home care, 50% gave ORS, 8.8% gave antibiotics and medical advice was sought by 7.6% of the caretakers. Conclusions: There seems to be very high antibiotic use for ARI and low ORS use for diarrhea.