SURVEY BASE STUDY ON CURRENT TREND OF TREATMENT OF COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA IN KARACHI

Objective: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a potentially serious infection that results in various general physicians (GP) visits and hospital admission every year. The prime objective of this research was to find the current trend of treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in Karachi.Methods: It was a prospective survey conducted in all districts of Karachi. A Questionnaire was filled by distinctive specialities of doctors in an outpatient setting in Karachi. A preliminary test questionnaire was used to collect the data directly from distinctive specialities of doctors in outpatient setting in Karachi. Total 500 doctors were selected from distinct districts of Karachi with convenient random sampling.Results: Majority (33.8%) of the respondents recommended complete blood count and chest x-ray for diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in an outpatient setting. Most (76%) of the respondents recommended nebulization for the management of community-acquired pneumonia in an outpatient setting. 31% and 25.4% of the physicians recommended clarithromycin as 1st line antibiotic therapy in adults and children for the management of a community-acquired pneumonia patients in outpatient setting.55.6% of the physicians recommended two-week duration of antibiotic therapy for the management of CAP in outpatient setting.Conclusion: This is clearly indicated by this study that deviation from the standard guideline is observed in the management of community-acquired pneumonia in Karachi. These deviations from the highly recommended guideline can results excess cost and inappropriateness of the management of the disease of community-acquired pneumonia. There is a need that the physician should take a decision of therapy according to the standard guidelines for the treatment of CAP in an outpatient setting.Â