[Self medication in general pediatrics].
OBJECTIVE: Description and quantification of self medication in a general paediatric office. DESIGN: Descriptive and prospective study. SITE. Cervantes Health Centre (Guadalajara). PATIENTS: 387 cases of both sexes until 8 that attended to on demand consultation during the period of two months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 36% of the patients were given drugs before attending to consultation and in 18.7% of these cases, the actuation was incorrect. Parents were, mainly the responsible of incorrect treatment. The most often registered pathology was common cold. We did not found relation between self medication and the next variables: child's age or sex, parents' age or studies, number of children in the family, number of consultation for the same pathologic event and mother working outside home. CONCLUSIONS: Self medication is a common practice. Parents should be instructed about management of the commonest pathologies and when they should ask the doctor.