Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is considered to be the most common reason for children's visits to emergency departments or outpatient clinics. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are currently major public health problems worldwide. This study aimed to assess Saudi parents' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the use of antibiotics in URTIs in children. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia using a previously validated questionnaire, which was distributed using Twitter. A total of 385 individuals completed the questionnaire. For the majority of the participants (77%), physicians were the primary source of information regarding the use of antibiotics. Forty-four percent of parents agreed that most URTIs are caused by viruses, and 81% were aware that inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to the development of antibiotic resistance. Fever was the primary symptom (27%) that led parents to ask for prescriptions for antibiotics. Although women had a higher attitude score (p=0.01), there was no difference between genders regarding knowledge and practice. Older participants (41 years or more) had a lower attitude score (p=0.02). Furthermore, participants with five children or more had lower attitude and practice scores (p=0.006, 0.04, respectively). Participants who lived in large cities had greater knowledge compared to the inhabitants of small cities (p=0.01). In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated that most of the participants were educated but lacked knowledge regarding antibiotic use in URTIs in children. This lack of knowledge led to inappropriate attitude and practice. Thus, launching public educational campaigns and encouraging physicians to educate parents regarding the proper use of antibiotics are recommended.

Objectives:The objective of the study was to report the incidence of pediatric burn injuries and describe the pattern and the trend of pediatrics burns seen in King Abdul-Aziz Medical City.Materials and Methods:Retrospective cross-sectional study. Data collected through chart review of pediatrics patients aged 1-month to 14 years who presented with a burn injury to the pediatric emergency department during the year 2013. Burn patients were divided into two groups based on the percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned: Either <10% or more than 10%. Variables were compared between the two groups to identify the risk factors associated with more than 10% body surface area involvement.Results:Burn incidence rate was 4.9 patients/1000/year. Children with burns on more than 10% TBSA accounted for 16% incidence (0.8/1000 emergency department patients). The burn injury severity ranged from 1% TBSA to 37%, with a mean of 5%. The proportion of male and female burn patients was 54.1% and 45.9%, respectively. Children between 1 and 3 years of age sustained the majority (48.6%) of burn injuries. Scald burns were found to be the most common cause of injury. Hot water and beverages were considered root for most of the scald burn injuries. As children advance in age, scald injury becomes less likely, and they are more obviously subjected to flame burn injuries. Burn injuries sustained at home were 35% compared to 2.7% occurring outside the home. None of the study variables were good predictors for severe burn injuries affecting more than 10% TBSA.Conclusion:The incidence and the severity of burn injuries remain high at the national level. Burn injuries continue to affect the pediatric population, predominantly, young children, which indicate the need for increasing parent educational programs and government regulations. Because we reported scald burns as the most common causes of burn injury, which are consistent with previous national reports, we recommend having legislation that focuses on scald burn prevention.

BACKGROUNDThe prevalence of both asthma and obesity are increasing. Although some studies suggest an association between body mass index (BMI) and frequency of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization for asthma exacerbation, any association remains unproven.OBJECTIVEEstimate the frequency of asthma exacerbation in obese children, and identify any relationship between BMI and frequency of ED visits and hospitalization for asthma exacerbation.DESIGNRetrospective review of medical records.SETTINGSTertiary children’s hospital, Riyadh.SUBJECTS AND METHODSAll children aged 2–15 years who attended the ED for asthma exacerbation between January 2015 and January 2016 were included. Children with comorbidities or undocumented asthma were excluded. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI-for-age growth charts for boys and girls aged 2 to 20 years were used to classify underweight, normal, overweight, and obese.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESThe frequency of ED visits and the rate, frequency, and duration of hospitalization.RESULTSOf the 1000 cases reviewed, 64.6% were boys and the mean age (standard deviation) of all subjects was 5.6 (3.3) years. The proportions of overweight and obese children was 11.8% and 12.1%, respectively. There was no association between increased BMI and frequency of ED visits for asthma exacerbation (P=.84), duration of hospitalization (P=.41) or frequency of hospitalization (P=.89).CONCLUSIONThere was no evidence of an association between BMI and frequency of ED visits and hospitalization for asthma exacerbation among children.LIMITATIONSThis study included patients as young as 2 years, while asthma is only well-defined in children >5 years. Asthma triggers that can cause exacerbation despite body weight were not included. We included only frequency of ED visits and hospitalization, which may be inadequate to measure asthma severity.