Assessment of treatment pattern of uncomplicated malaria in peadiatric patients attending a teaching hospital in northwest Nigeria

Malaria remains an important public health concern in countries where transmission occurs regularly, as well as in areas where transmission has been largely controlled or eliminated. This study assesses the pattern of treatment of uncomplicated malaria in young children attending a Teaching Hospital in Northwest Nigeria and prescribers awareness and attitude towards the new National Antimalarial Treatment Guidelines. The study design consist of a prospective cross-sectional study to assess caregivers treatment seeking habit for uncomplicated malaria in children and prescribers knowledge and attitude on the ACTs and a retrospective study to assess prescribing pattern and adherence to the Federal Government National Antimalarial Treatment Guidelines. The prospective study showed that 72% of the children received ACTs, 6% received chloroquine and 2% sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine, 20% other antimalarials . Analgesics and antibiotics were reportedly administered. 60% were diagnosis with malaria only, 15% malaria plus upper respiratory tract infections and 15% malaria with other conditions. Sixty percent of the physicians recommended ACTs as first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria, Twenty three percent of prescribers rated treatment response to ACTs to be excellent, 55% above average and 18.2% average. In the retrospective study, a total of 342 prescriptions were reviewed. sixty six percent of prescriptions contained ACTs. Average number of medicines per prescription was 5.4. Percentage of prescriptions containing more than 4 medicines was 6.7% and percentage of prescriptions containing less than 4 medicines was 40.4%. The study showed that the pattern of treatment of uncomplicated malaria reflect high compliance with the policy change from chloroquine to ACTs as first line antimalarial drugs. Despite some significant side effects, and irrational prescribing practices most prescribers opined that treatment outcome was above average.