[Drugs used in paediatric outpatients: do we have enough information available?]

To analyse the drugs taken in paediatric outpatients and the information available on these drugs.

A cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study was carried out. The study involved a sample of children under 14 years seen in the Emergency Room of the HGUV from June 2005 to August 2006. The medicines they received were quantified and classified, and the information on these drugs available in the Vademecum International Medicom and in the Summary of Product Characteristics, were analysed.

Of the 462 children (mean age 5.2 (95 % CI 4.9-5.6)) included, 336 received 667 medicines (152 different medicines) that contained 864 drugs (161 different drugs). In 34.3 % of the cases it was for self-medication. Children under 4 years received more drugs than the older group (80.2 % in the younger group and 67.4 % in the older). Patients received from 1 to 7 medicines (mean 2.0). Children receiving 2 or 3 medicines were younger than those who received one. Five therapeutic groups of the Anatomical-Therapeutical-Chemical Classification (ATC) include the 93.1 % of the drugs administered (R: 26.5 %; M: 23.8 %; N: 22.8 %; J: 10.6 % and A: 10.0 %). In the information sources consulted there was no information available on paediatric use for 40 of the 152 medicines used.

Almost 75 % of patients seen in the Emergency Room were already receiving drugs before they arrived at the hospital, in many cases as a result of self-medication. The information available on the paediatric use of drugs is deficient. Clinical research is required to study the effects of pharmacological treatment on children and to improve the information on their use.