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Summaryobjective To describe the health-seeking behaviour and use of antibiotics in the urban community of Yurimaguas in the Amazonian area of Peru.method Cross-sectional survey of caregivers of 798 children aged 6-72 months by interview using a semi-structured questionnaire. Reported symptoms were classified as illnesses where antibiotics would or would not be recommended based on principles of the integrated management of childhood illnesses algorithm.results Forty-one per cent of consultations were with health care professionals; 71% of antibiotics were obtained through the formal public health sector and prescribed mainly by medical doctors. All prescribed antibiotics were on the Peruvian essential drugs list. When prescribing, doctors and nurses hardly discriminated between illnesses where antibiotic treatment was or was not indicated; there was no significant difference in antibiotic prescribing rates between the two (doctors, P = 0.24; nurses, P = 0.32). Not all caregivers sought help for children with severe symptoms.conclusion Although most of the antibiotics were prescribed by doctors and nurses, they were commonly prescribed for illnesses where they were not indicated. The use of antibiotics needs to be rationalized, and barriers to health care must be overcome.keywords care-seeking behaviour, rational prescription practices, antibiotics, barriers to health care, Peru

Our objective was to correlate antibiotic resistance in gut E. coli flora of children, aged 6-72 months, with use of antibiotics, socioeconomic status (SES) and household characteristics in the urban communities of Yurimaguas and Moyobamba in the Amazonian area of Peru. Caregivers of 1598 children were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey. Faecal samples were collected from the children and the antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli was analysed by a rapid resistance screening method. Significantly higher odds for resistance were seen for children who had used antibiotics, both during the last 2 weeks and the last 6 months. Children from wealthier families had significantly higher odds for resistance to a number of antibiotics than children from the least wealthy families (Yurimaguas: nalidixic acid, OR = 2.13; ciprofloxacin, OR = 2.09; chloramphenicol, OR = 1.98. Moyobamba: nalidixic acid, OR = 1.59; ciprofloxacin, OR = 1.69). Thus, the children of wealthier families had a significantly increased odds ratio for resistance, also when controlling for the family's antibiotic use. Unknown factors related to socioeconomic status seem to contribute to the results seen in the study area.