Antibiotic therapy in indigenous and non-indigenous undernourished children

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of child malnutrition is declining worldwide, but still affects millions of children, especially indigenous people. Due to the high number of infectious diseases associated with malnutrition, antibiotic therapy is part of the recommended therapy. Objective: To observe the cases of malnutrition among hospitalized indigenous and non-indigenous children and the therapy used during treatment. Methods: Retrospective cohort study, pharmacoepidemiological, carried out with information extracted from medical records filed from January 2012 to December 2014 of a public hospital. Results: 166 children participated, with the number of indigenous children being approximately six times higher than that of nonindigenous children. There was a higher prevalence among infants and children under one year of age who were more likely to be hospitalized for malnutrition. The most frequent diagnoses of malnutrition were nonspecific, with a significant proportion of deaths related to diagnosis E43. The most common infections were of the digestive and respiratory system. Indigenous children were almost five times more likely to have respiratory infection. The highest proportion received up to three antibiotics, with children receiving more than seven different antibiotics during the hospitalization period. Conclusion: The child population must be accompanied by surveys that can subsidize health policies that meet their needs. It is necessary to train the professionals involved in the care of malnourished children, material and financial resources, in order to reduce the number of non-specific diagnoses and to avoid the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, a policy of effective control in the use of antimicrobial polytherapy is essential.