Background: Bacterial infection plays a negligible role in pediatric acute
asthma attacks. However, many patients are treated empirically with
antibiotics. Objective: This study attempted to investigate the problem of
antibiotic usage as a part of treatment of acute asthma among children
living in Egypt. Methods: The current exploratory study included a random
sample of 300 children visiting the allergy clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo
University from September 2016 to September 2017. A study researcher
applied a validated questionnaire to the child's parents about usage of
antibiotics. Results: Most families belonged to the low or middle social
class. About 65.7% of children had sub-optimal asthma control, 73.7%
experienced acute attacks, with over half of them (51%) receiving
antibiotics; 41.8% of those who received antibiotics were self-medicated.
Over 90% reused previous prescriptions. Main single reasons for resorting
to self-medication were to save money and the assumption that previous
prescriptions can be reused. About 45.3% expressed intention to employ
self-medication in the future. Low social class was associated with
significantly higher odds of resorting to self-medication (odds ratio=3.32;
p=0.05). Conclusion: A remarkable antibiotic use was detected among
children who had acute asthma, a large proportion of which was without
medical consultation. Family social class was an independent predictor for
adopting self-medication.