ArticleBMC infectious diseases2019
Apparent overuse of antibiotics in the management of watery diarrhoea in children in Abakaliki, Nigeria.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Community use of oral rehydration solution and antibiotics for diarrhea in the Far North and Littoral regions of Cameroon: distribution and determinants.Scientific reports · 2026Article
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- Healthcare seeking behavior and antibiotic use for diarrhea among children in rural Bangladesh before seeking care at a healthcare facility.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The role of breastfeeding, antibiotics and antimalarial medicinal exposure in paediatric depression amongst children aged under 5: a population-based study.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Inappropriate use of antibiotics in the management of diarrhoea in children under five years admitted with acute diarrhoea in four provinces of Mozambique 2014-2019.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Factors associated with antibiotic use in children hospitalized for acute viral gastroenteritis and the relation to rotavirus vaccination.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2024Article
- Antibiotic prescribing practices according to the AWaRe classification among children under 5 of age attending public primary care centres in four West African countries: a cross-sectional study (AIRE project, 2021-2022).BMJ paediatrics open · 2024Article
- Characterization of Antibiotic Treatment among Children Aged 0-59 Months Hospitalized for Acute Bacterial Gastroenteritis in Israel.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Multidrug-Resistant Sepsis: A Critical Healthcare Challenge.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- A situational assessment of treatments received for childhood diarrhea in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.PloS one · 2024Article
- Zoonotic Parasites and Their Association With Human Activities in Northern Tanzania: An Integrated Ecosystem Approach for One Health.Journal of parasitology research · 2024Article
- Molecular Characterization of Hetero-Pathogenic and DiarrheagenicPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Parental health-seeking behavior on self-medication, antibiotic use, and antimicrobial resistance in children.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2023Article
- Antibiotic Use for Febrile Children in a Tertiary Care Hospital's Outpatient Department: A Cross-Sectional Study.Cureus · 2023Article
- Antimicrobial use among paediatric inpatients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital: A three-year point prevalence survey.Journal of infection prevention · 2023Article
- Overuse of medications in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2023Article
- An Exploration of the Public's Attitude toward Antibiotic Use and Prescription in Light of the Recent Ministry of Health Regulations: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Perspectives on the Ethics of Antibiotic Overuse and on the Implementation of (New) Antibiotics.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2022Article
- Management of acute diarrhea in the emergency department of a tertiary care university medical center.The Journal of international medical research · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiarrhoea remains an important cause of childhood mortality in Nigeria, with Rotavirus and Cryptosporidium reported to have the highest contribution. However, high use of antibiotics for treatment of paediatric diarrhoea has been observed, although World Health Organization guidelines discourage the use of antibiotics for treating acute diarrhoea. Here we investigated more closely management and treatment practices for acute paediatric diarrhoea, both in home and healthcare settings.
methodsChildren under 5 years of age (n = 199) presenting at healthcare centres in Abakaliki, Nigeria with acute watery diarrhoea were included in the study. Background information on the children was collected by questionnaire, including home treatments, and clinical information including symptoms and treatment were provided by the healthcare centres. Analysis of faecal samples from the children indicated that over 90% had Rotavirus infection and over 6% Cryptosporidium infection. Data were compiled in a spreadsheet and analysed for associations between variables and use of antibiotics using logistic regression analysis.
resultsAlthough most children were treated supportively (oral rehydration solution and intravenous fluids at home and in healthcare settings, respectively) over 15% were given anti-diarrhoea drugs at home and over 85% were also prescribed antibiotics at the healthcare centre, mostly ciproflaxin, but also metronidazole and gentamycin. The only variable positively associated with antibiotic prescription was diarrhoea more than three times per 24 h at admission.
conclusionsIt is clear that young children presenting with acute watery diarrhoea to healthcare centres in Abakaliki are likely to be prescribed antibiotics, despite there being no obvious reason that this treatment is appropriate. Our study results support the need for institution-based antimicrobial stewardship being implemented in Nigeria.
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