Knowledge, attitude, and practice of pediatricians regarding pediatric liquid medicaments

K. L. Girish Babu; Geeta Maruti Doddamani; Kumaraswamy Naik L.R

doi:10.4103/ejd.ejd_222_16

European Journal of Dentistry, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Eur J Dent 2017; 11(01): 106-110
DOI: 10.4103/ejd.ejd_222_16

Original Article

Dental Investigation Society

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of pediatricians regarding pediatric liquid medicaments

Authors

K. L. Girish Babu

¹Department of Dentistry, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan, Karnataka, India
Geeta Maruti Doddamani

²Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, The Oxford Dental College and Hospital, Bommanahalli, Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Kumaraswamy Naik L.R

³Department of Dentistry, Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, Belgaum, Karnataka, India

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Objective:To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pediatricians regarding pediatric liquid medicaments (PLMs) and its effect on dental health.Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 103 pediatricians was asked to answer a questionnaire.Results: A total number of 87 pediatricians completed the questionnaires. They considered age and body weight of the child (58%), cost of the medicine (40%), and pharmaceutical company (37%) to be relevant while prescribing. Eighty-eight percent of pediatricians knew that the PLM was sweet in nature. Sixty-seven percent of pediatricians stated that pH of PLM is responsible for deleterious effect on teeth. Seventy-two percent of pediatricians were aware of hidden sugars present in PLM. Only 48% of pediatricians were aware of availability of sugar-free medicine. Seventy percent of pediatricians were of the opinion that sugar-free medicine is not as sweet as sugar-containing medicines and is more expensive (65%).Conclusion: Knowledge, attitude, and practice of pediatricians regarding PLMs and its effect on dental health were not satisfactory.

Key words:

Knowledge - pediatric liquid medicaments - pediatrician

Full Text

References

REFERENCES
1 Maguire A, Rugg-Gunn AJ. Prevalence of long-term use of liquid oral medicines by children. J Can Dent Assoc 1997; 55: 43-6
2 Kumar A, Rawlings RD, Beaman DC. The mystery ingredients: Sweeteners, flavorings, dyes, and preservatives in analgesic/antipyretic, antihistamine/decongestant, cough and cold, antidiarrheal, and liquid theophylline preparations. Pediatrics 1993; 91: 927-33
3 James PM, Parfitt GJ. Local effects of certain medicaments on the teeth. Br Med J 1953; 2: 1252-3
4 Roberts IF, Roberts GJ. Relation between medicines sweetened with sucrose and dental disease. Br Med J 1979; 2: 14-6
5 Feigal RJ, Gleeson MC, Beckman TM, Greenwood ME. Dental caries related to liquid medication intake in young cardiac patients. ASDC J Dent Child 1984; 51: 360-2
6 Bradley M, Kinirons M. A survey of factors influencing the prescribing of sugar-free medicines for children by a group of general medical practitioners in Northern Ireland. Int J Paediatr Dent 1996; 6: 261-4
7 Bawazir OA, Alsuwayt B, Alqahtani W, Al-Dhafiri A, Al-Shamrani M. Knowledge, attitude and practice of pediatricians and pharmacists in Riyadh city toward the use of sugar free medications. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014; 15: 755-60
8 Neves BG, Pierro VS, Maia LC. Pediatricians' perceptions of the use of sweetened medications related to oral health. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2008; 32: 133-7
9 Saeed S, Bshara N, Trak J, Mahmoud G. Effect of dietary combinations on plaque pH recovery after the intake of pediatric liquid analgesics. Eur J Dent 2015; 9: 340-5
10 Díaz-Garrido N, Lozano C, Giacaman RA. Frequency of sucrose exposure on the cariogenicity of a biofilm-caries model. Eur J Dent 2016; 10: 345-50
11 Bigeard L. The role of medication and sugars in pediatric dental patients. Dent Clin North Am 2000; 44: 443-56
12 Nirmala SV, Popuri VD, Chilamakuri S, Nuvvula S, Veluru S, Minor Babu MS. Oral health concerns with sweetened medicaments: Pediatricians' acuity. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent 2015; 5: 35-9
13 Mackie IC, Hobson P. Factors affecting the availability of sugar-free medicines for children – A survey in the UK. Int J Paediatr Dent 1993; 3: 163-7
14 McVeigh N, Kinirons MJ. Pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning sugar-free medicines. Int J Paediatr Dent 1999; 9: 31-5
15 Frostell G, Keyes PH, Larson RH. Effect of various sugars and sugar substitutes on dental caries in hamsters and rats. J Nutr 1967; 93: 65-76
16 Folayan MO, Bankole OO, Osaguona A, Fatusi O, Oyedele T, Ashiwaju MO. A survey of knowledge, opinion and practice of dentists, pharmacists and parents in Nigeria towards the use of sugar-free medication. Eur J Paediatr Dent 2012; 13: 136-42
17 Maguire A, Rugg-Gunn AJ. Medicines in liquid and syrup form used long-term in paediatrics: A survey in the Northern region of England. Int J Paediatr Dent 1994; 4: 93-9