Poster Presentations
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Poster Presentations P.031 Treatment and Care of Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder in the Eastern Cape, South Africa S. Snyman, I. Truter Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Background: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common, but controversial disease and is reported to affect 3% to 5% of school-going children of which the majority are boys.[1,2] Although the aetiology of the disorder is still unknown, studies conducted worldwide have suggested a strong genetic origin.[3] Aim: The primary aim of the study was to determine the treatment and care of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Methods: A list of pharmacies in the Eastern Cape was obtained from the South African Pharmacy Council. Pharmacies were phoned during October 2006 and 54 pharmacies indicated their willingness to participate in the study. A total of 602 questionnaires were distributed to these pharmacies, and the pharmacy manager then distributed the questionnaires to parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. Fifty-two completed questionnaires were returned (a response rate of 8.64%). Results: Three quarters of patients were males. A third of the mothers indicated that the birth of their child was difficult (for example, long labour, emergency caesarean section or instruments were used during delivery). Two fathers were diagnosed with ADHD as children and 11 patients had other family members diagnosed with ADHD (including cousins, brothers and sisters). The most commonly prescribed medication at the initiation of treatment was methylphenidate. Seventy-five percent of the patients underwent a dosage change after initiating treatment for ADHD, after which the most commonly used medication was a long-acting methylphenidate product. Eighteen patients have been diagnosed with comorbid conditions, including allergic conditions, epilepsy and depression. Antihistamine therapy, topical cortisone therapy for skin application and nasal sprays were commonly prescribed. Forty-two parents indicated that their children lost their appetite after the initiation of the medication, but only 11 indicated that their children had lost weight since initiating therapy. Eighteen children struggled to fall asleep, which can indicate that the last dose of medication was given too late in the day. Most parents (80.77%) have tried alternative treatments for their children’s ADHD, but most (83.33%) have stopped the use of these alternative treatments since they felt that it did not have any significant effect on their child’s behaviour. Conclusion: It seemed as if ADHD had a hereditary component in this study. Methylphenidate was the most commonly prescribed medication, and parents were of the opinion that alternative treatments did not enable their child to be taken off pharmacological treatment for ADHD. References 1. Cyr M, Brown CS. Current drug therapy re
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