Recognition and management of ARI--a KAP study on private medical practitioners.

We interviewed 113 private medical practitioners (PMPs) of all system of medicine in Ambedkar Nagar area of South Delhi to determine as to how they recognise and treat Acute Respiratory tract Infections (ARI) in children, in particular, pneumonia. Allopathic PMPs reported viruses and bacteria as causes of ARI as compared to PMPs of other system of medicine who often reported exposure to cold, change in weather and dietary habits as a cause of ARI. Sixty-eight PMPs out of 113 did not count the respiratory rate (RR) in children with ARI and among those who counted, only 19.5% PMPs could correctly tell the normal RR in children aged less than two months. In children aged 2-12 months, the percentage of PMPs responding correctly was 15.0%. Relatively greater proportion of PMPs (31.8%) could correctly tell the normal respiratory rate in children aged 1-5 years. X-ray to diagnose pneumonia was suggested by 102 (90.3%) PMPs. Majority of PMPs prescribed some form of medication including antibiotics for the treatment of cough and cold. Eighty-seven (77%) PMPs prescribed antibiotics, 53 (46.9%) antihistaminics and 49 (43.4%) prescribed allopathic cough syrups to treat cough and cold. For pneumonia, 108 (96.4%) PMPs prescribed antibiotics and 31 (27.7%) PMPs prescribed steroids among other things.