Document Detail


Self-medication among children and adolescents.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20615182     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Self-medication includes several forms through which the individual him/herself or the ones responsible for him/her decide, without medical evaluation, which drug they will use and in which way for the symptomatic relief and "cure" of a condition. It involves sharing drugs with other members of the family and social group, using leftovers from previous prescriptions or disrespecting the medical prescription either by prolonging or interrupting the dosage and the administration period prescribed. Although few researches have studied aspects of self-medication in children and adolescents, some authors have reported a high prevalence of self-medication in this age group. Similar to adults, the highest consumption of drugs involves the use of analgesics, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs followed by antibiotics. This review describes the global pattern of self-medication in children and adolescents, and discusses public policies aiming to promote health interventions and strategies to prevent self-medication.
Authors:
Grace Pfaffenbach; Francis S V Tourinho; Fabio Bucaretchi
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Current drug safety     Volume:  5     ISSN:  1574-8863     ISO Abbreviation:  Curr Drug Saf     Publication Date:  2010 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-10-08     Completed Date:  2011-01-25     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101270895     Medline TA:  Curr Drug Saf     Country:  United Arab Emirates    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  324-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
University Hospital, University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil. grace@hc.unicamp.br
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Analgesics / administration & dosage,  therapeutic use
Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage,  therapeutic use
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / administration & dosage,  therapeutic use
Child
Health Policy*
Humans
Prevalence
Self Medication*
Social Environment
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Analgesics; 0/Anti-Bacterial Agents; 0/Anti-Inflammatory Agents

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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