The decision-making process in antibacterial treatment of pediatric upper respiratory infections: a national prospective office-based observational study.

Background: The identification of patient management practices and the sources of medical information is crucial for rationalizing the treatment of respiratory tract infections, whose high incidence, especially in children, makes them one of the maior areas of unnecessary health expenditure.

Materials And Methods: This national prospective study was designed to investigate the diagnostic and prescribing habits of 100 office-based pediatricians managing upper respiratory tract infections in 1111 pediatric patients (604 males, mean age 6.7962.