DETERMINANTS OF ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTION TO CHILDREN IN THE ULSS “ALTO VICENTINO

Key words: Antibiotics, Prescription, Paediatrics

Prescriptions of antibiotics to children aged 0 to 14 and belonging to the Health Unit “Alto Vicentino” were analysed for the year 2002. 41% of children received at least one prescription. 20% of prescriptions were made by physicians who where not the family doctor usually in charge of the child. Multivariate analysis showed that the determinants of antibiotic prescription were age and nationality of the child, the sex of the doctor (males prescribed significantly more antibiotics than female doctors) and the total number of children whom the physician was in charge of (the greater the number of the patients, the lower the chance of prescription). Amoxycillin was the most used antibiotic in children younger than two years, while amoxi-clavulanic and cefalosporins were the most frequently used in the period of maximum prescription, i.e. from 2 to 6 years.