KNOWLEDGE OF PERUVIAN GENERAL DENTISTS REGARDING THE PRESCRIPTION OF NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND ANTIBIOTICS IN CHILDREN

Introduction: Pharmacological care in pediatric patients must be appropriate for their stage of growth and development; therefore, dentists must have adequate knowledge to ensure safe prescribing. Objective: To determine the knowledge of general dentists in Lima, Peru regarding the prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics (ATBs) in children. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 300 general dentists (57.3% male; 51.7% ≥ 30 years old). A 25-question questionnaire on knowledge of NSAIDs and ATBs (22 items, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value ≥ 0.795, Bartlett’s test: p<0.001, Kuder-Richardson-20 value ≥ 0.893) and demographic data (age, sex, work sector) was applied in 2023. Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests were used considering p<0.05 as significant. Results: Most participants had low level knowledge about NSAIDs (59%) and ATBs (60.7%) prescription, with total knowledge scores [(10 (IQR=6)], NSAIDs [5, IQR=10] and ATBs [4 (IQR=7] being similar for sex, age, and work sector (p≥ 0.199). Most participants were aware of the therapeutic indication of NSAIDs for pain and inflammation relief but were unaware of the adequate dosages of sodium diclofenac and naproxen concentrations (57.7% to 58.3%) and the concentration of amoxicillin with or without clavulanic acid, azithromycin dosage, administration volume, or duration of ATB use (56% to 58.7%) (p≤ 0.043). The group <30 years old presented a higher knowledge score for NSAIDs compared to ATBs (p=0.030). Conclusions: General dentists in Lima have insufficient knowledge regarding NSAID and ATB prescription in pediatric patients.