Abstract

FARIAS, Isabela Albuquerque Passos; SAMPAIO, Fábio Correia  and  FREITAS, Cláudia Helena Soares de Morais. Long-term pediatric sugared medicines: knowledge and attitude of medical practitioners at a university hospital. RGO, Rev. gaúch. odontol. (Online) [online]. 2011, vol.59, n.4, pp. 599-602. ISSN 1981-8637.

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of university hospital pediatricians in respect of the presence of sucrose in medicines used regularly and long-term by children, and to identify the presence of sucrose in frequently prescribed medicines. Methods A questionnaire was applied to all pediatricians at the University Hospital of João Pessoa, Brazil. The medicines were purchased in pharmacies to evaluate the sweeteners listed on the drug labels. The data analysis was carried out by means of descriptive statistics using absolute and percentage values. Results The majority of the professionals (84.2%, n=16) stated they were unaware of the sucrose content in medicines. The instruction for the patients to brush their teeth after using a sweet medicine was reported by one professional only. There was a great variety (20 types) of medicines recommended by medical practitioners. The analysis of 103 medicines revealed that 67 (65.0%) had sucrose in their formula. Conclusion Sucrose is a frequent sweetener in pediatric medicines. In addition, the health professionals interviewed demonstrated insufficient knowledge and attitude in respect of the presence of sucrose in pediatric medicines and the risk of the development of caries. Medical professionals and students should be made aware of the risks when prescribing pediatric sugared medicines for children.

Keywords : Oral administration.; Dental caries.; Child.; Sucrose..