To determine the prevalence and routes of transmission of hepatitis
C
virus (HCV) infection in
Hafizabad, Pakistan, we collected sera in 1993 from a geographically based
random sample of
residents, and in 1994 identified 15 HCV-infected individuals (cases) and
67 age and sex matched uninfected individuals (controls). Initially we
approached
504 households, and
collected serum from a randomly selected household member in 309 (64%).
Twenty persons (6·5%) had anti-HCV antibody; 31% percent had hepatitis
B core
antibodies, and 4·3% had
hepatitis B surface antigen. In the case-control study, persons who
received more therapeutic
injections (categorized as averaging 1, 2–4, 5–9 or >10
injections per year in the previous 10
years) were more likely to be infected with HCV (odds ratio 0,
1·5, 2·5 and 6·9 respectively,
P=0·008) compared to persons averaging 0 injections per
year. Efforts to limit therapeutic
injections to only those that are medically indicated and that use
sterile equipment are essential in order to prevent transmission of HCV.
Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is considered to be the most common reason for children's visits to emergency departments or outpatient clinics. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are currently major public health problems worldwide. This study aimed to assess Saudi parents' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the use of antibiotics in URTIs in children. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia using a previously validated questionnaire, which was distributed using Twitter. A total of 385 individuals completed the questionnaire. For the majority of the participants (77%), physicians were the primary source of information regarding the use of antibiotics. Forty-four percent of parents agreed that most URTIs are caused by viruses, and 81% were aware that inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to the development of antibiotic resistance. Fever was the primary symptom (27%) that led parents to ask for prescriptions for antibiotics. Although women had a higher attitude score (p=0.01), there was no difference between genders regarding knowledge and practice. Older participants (41 years or more) had a lower attitude score (p=0.02). Furthermore, participants with five children or more had lower attitude and practice scores (p=0.006, 0.04, respectively). Participants who lived in large cities had greater knowledge compared to the inhabitants of small cities (p=0.01). In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated that most of the participants were educated but lacked knowledge regarding antibiotic use in URTIs in children. This lack of knowledge led to inappropriate attitude and practice. Thus, launching public educational campaigns and encouraging physicians to educate parents regarding the proper use of antibiotics are recommended.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.