Table 1.
Use of antimicrobial agents in children with suspected systemic infection
| Number of children (%) receiving drug | ||||
| Age of child on blood culture | 0–6 days | 7–30 days | 1 month – 7 years | Total |
| No of patients | n = 261 | n = 190 | n = 1106 | n = 1557 |
| Any antibacterial | 257 (98.5) | 186 (97.9) | 1017 (92.0) | 1460 (93.8) |
| - Penicillin | - | - | 301 (27.2) | 301 (19.3) |
| - Ampicillin/amoxicillin | 244 (93.5) | 165 (86.8) | 589 (53.3) | 998 (64.1) |
| - Cloxacillin | 244 (93.5) | 165 (86.8) | 354 (32.0) | 763 (49.0) |
| - Cephalexin | - | - | 27 (2.4) | 27 (1.7) |
| - Cefuroxime | - | - | 37 (3.3) | 37 (2.4) |
| - Ceftriaxone | 34 (13.0) | 51 (26.8) | 118 (10.7) | 203 (13.0) |
| - Chloramphenicol | - | 2 (1.1) | 416 (37.6) | 418 (26.8) |
| - Gentamicin | 250 (95.8) | 173 (91.1) | 504 (45.6) | 927 (59.5) |
| - Amikacin | - | 1 (0.5) | 25 (2.3) | 26 (1.7) |
| - Co-trimoxazole | - | 3 (1.6) | 129 (11.7) | 132 (8.5) |
| - Erythromycin | - | 2 (1.1) | 44 (4.0) | 46 (3.0) |
| - Azithromycin | - | - | 23 (2.1) | 23 (1.5) |
| - Nalidixic acid | - | - | 4 (0.4) | 4 (0.3) |
| - Metronidazole | - | - | 22 (2.0) | 22 (1.4) |
| TB medicines | - | - | 71(6.4) | 71(4.6) |
| Any antimalarial | 19(7.3) | 23 (12.1) | 784 (70.9) | 826 (53.1) |
| - Quinine | 6 (2.3) | 16 (8.4) | 636 (57.5) | 658 (42.3) |
| - Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine | - | 1 (0.5) | 192 (17.4) | 193 (12.4) |
| - Chloroquine | 15 (5.7) | 9 (4.7) | 7 (0.6) | 31 (2.0) |
| - Amodiaquine | - | - | 12 (1.1) | 12 (0.8) |
| - Artesunate | - | - | 1 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) |
| Mebendazole | - | - | 44(4.0) | 44(2.8) |
| Nystatin (oral) | 8(3.1) | 13(6.8) | 195 (17.6) | 216 (13.9) |
| Systemic antifungal | - | - | 8(0.7) | 8(0.5) |