Use of drugs to treat respiratory tract infections in the community

This study describes the utilization of drugs to treat respiratory tract infections in a community setting. The description of antimicrobial and non-antimicrobial drugs use is important to design interventions aimed at improving treatment strategies for these common illnesses. In a population-based cross-sectional study, 6145 individuals living in an urban area in southern Brazil were inquired about the use of drugs for the treatment of respiratory tract infections in the 30 days previous to the interview. The Pearson chi-square test was used for statistical analyses. The global prevalence of respiratory infections treated with drugs was 6.3%. The prevalence was higher for children under 4 years of age (18%) and lower for the elderly (3%; p