[A survey of knowledge on common cold in outpatient clinics]

To investigate outpatients' cognition towards common cold and their habituated medication so as to provide evidence for future public healthcare education.

Patients who attended hospital for diagnosis and treatment of common cold at least within past three months were asked to fill a questionnaire independently so as to learn their cognition towards common cold and medication habit.

Among the patients underwent survey, 52.21% had incorrect knowledge about common cold; 12.99% didn't know about the hazards of common cold; 34.80% couldn't distinguish common cold from influenza; 30.07% considered common cold couldn't get relief without treatment; 68.24% didn't know about the proper effects of influenza vaccination; 61.14% often took oral medicine even intravenous injection when they caught a common cold; 59.77% often took medication from drugstore without prescription by doctor, and a few asked doctors to prescribe medicine on their request; 19.42% didn't know about the side effects of drug for cold treatment; and 19.72% didn't know about the active ingredients of drug for cold treatment. There were significant differences in the common cold cognition among population of different ages and education background. The older or the higher education status patients had a better cognition (P < 0.01).

There exist a certain degree of wrong cognition towards common cold among patients of different literacy degree and different age. Public health education on common cold need to be further strengthened.