Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study
Introduction: Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is commonly encountered at the primary care level. Its management is particularly challenging due to the similarity of its symptoms to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Our study evaluated the profiles and antibiotic use of patients...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Malaysian Family Physician |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://e-mfp.org/wp-content/uploads/v17n3-OA-Patient-profile-and-antibiotic-use.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811179174629474304 |
|---|---|
| author | Zhi Yin Ooi Nurul Abidah Mohd Ghazali Nang Juniza Nik Zahari Huan Keat Chan Norsiah Md Noor Noor Liani Harun Mohd Firdaus Abu Bakar Mohd Redhuan Abdul Muin |
| author_facet | Zhi Yin Ooi Nurul Abidah Mohd Ghazali Nang Juniza Nik Zahari Huan Keat Chan Norsiah Md Noor Noor Liani Harun Mohd Firdaus Abu Bakar Mohd Redhuan Abdul Muin |
| author_sort | Zhi Yin Ooi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is commonly encountered at the primary care level. Its management is particularly challenging due to the similarity of its symptoms to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Our study evaluated the profiles and antibiotic use of patients seeking care from a dedicated community-based URTI clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were obtained from the medical records of patients visiting the URTI clinic at the Alor Setar Primary Healthcare Centre between March and April 2020.
Results: Overall, 587/4388 (13.3%) patients received treatment at the URTI clinic. Most patients were male (60.6%) and aged between 20 and 39 years (35.5%). Their most common symptoms were cough (68.4%), fever (31.6%), runny nose (24.6%), and sore throat (24.1%). Most patients were diagnosed with acute nasopharyngitis (52.5%), acute pharyngitis (18.6%), or acute tonsillitis (5.3%). The symptomatic medication prescription rate was 96.5%. Only 26 of the 435 patients diagnosed with URTI received antibiotics, yielding an antibiotic use rate of only 6.0% for URTI relative to overall drug use. Acute tonsillitis was more common in children <12 years old (p<0.001), while a cough and runny nose were more commonly indicative of acute nasopharyngitis than other conditions (p<0.001). Sore throat was more likely to be a symptom of acute pharyngitis (p<0.001) and acute tonsillitis (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Despite the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings suggest that patients with URTI-like symptoms were properly managed, and the rate of antibiotic usage remained reasonable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:31:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2fe4dff017424b23be5dbe71b69b8c52 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1985-207X 1985-2274 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:31:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaysian Family Physician |
| spelling | doaj.art-2fe4dff017424b23be5dbe71b69b8c522022-12-22T04:40:03ZengAcademy of Family Physicians of MalaysiaMalaysian Family Physician1985-207X1985-22742022-11-01173748310.51866/oa.38Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional studyZhi Yin OoiNurul Abidah Mohd GhazaliNang Juniza Nik ZahariHuan Keat ChanNorsiah Md NoorNoor Liani HarunMohd Firdaus Abu BakarMohd Redhuan Abdul Muin Introduction: Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is commonly encountered at the primary care level. Its management is particularly challenging due to the similarity of its symptoms to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Our study evaluated the profiles and antibiotic use of patients seeking care from a dedicated community-based URTI clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were obtained from the medical records of patients visiting the URTI clinic at the Alor Setar Primary Healthcare Centre between March and April 2020. Results: Overall, 587/4388 (13.3%) patients received treatment at the URTI clinic. Most patients were male (60.6%) and aged between 20 and 39 years (35.5%). Their most common symptoms were cough (68.4%), fever (31.6%), runny nose (24.6%), and sore throat (24.1%). Most patients were diagnosed with acute nasopharyngitis (52.5%), acute pharyngitis (18.6%), or acute tonsillitis (5.3%). The symptomatic medication prescription rate was 96.5%. Only 26 of the 435 patients diagnosed with URTI received antibiotics, yielding an antibiotic use rate of only 6.0% for URTI relative to overall drug use. Acute tonsillitis was more common in children <12 years old (p<0.001), while a cough and runny nose were more commonly indicative of acute nasopharyngitis than other conditions (p<0.001). Sore throat was more likely to be a symptom of acute pharyngitis (p<0.001) and acute tonsillitis (p<0.001). Conclusion: Despite the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings suggest that patients with URTI-like symptoms were properly managed, and the rate of antibiotic usage remained reasonable.https://e-mfp.org/wp-content/uploads/v17n3-OA-Patient-profile-and-antibiotic-use.pdfpatient profileurti cliniccovid-19primary careantibiotic |
| spellingShingle | Zhi Yin Ooi Nurul Abidah Mohd Ghazali Nang Juniza Nik Zahari Huan Keat Chan Norsiah Md Noor Noor Liani Harun Mohd Firdaus Abu Bakar Mohd Redhuan Abdul Muin Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study Malaysian Family Physician patient profile urti clinic covid-19 primary care antibiotic |
| title | Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study |
| title_full | Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study |
| title_short | Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study |
| title_sort | patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during covid 19 pandemic in malaysia a cross sectional study |
| topic | patient profile urti clinic covid-19 primary care antibiotic |
| url | https://e-mfp.org/wp-content/uploads/v17n3-OA-Patient-profile-and-antibiotic-use.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhiyinooi patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT nurulabidahmohdghazali patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT nangjunizanikzahari patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT huankeatchan patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT norsiahmdnoor patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT noorlianiharun patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT mohdfirdausabubakar patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy AT mohdredhuanabdulmuin patientprofileandantibioticuseinadedicatedupperrespiratorytractinfectionclinicbasedinaprimaryhealthcaresettingduringcovid19pandemicinmalaysiaacrosssectionalstudy |