Patients' attitude and information-seeking behaviour on intra-venous fluid therapy in emergency department for common cold: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine patients' attitude and information-seeking behaviour related to intra-venous (IV) fluid use for the common cold visited in emergency department.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from January to May 2024. A total of 365 patients aged 18 years and older presenting with cold symptoms were surveyed using a validated questionnaire. The survey assessed demographic information, attitudes towards IV fluid therapy, and the sources of information patients used. Descriptive statistics, and one-sample t-tests were performed to compare mean perceptions against a neutral score (e.g., 3 on a 5-point Likert scale) using SPSS version 21.

Results: The mean age of participants was 39.35 ± 15.48 years, with 48.5% women and 51.5% men. Nearly two-third (62.19%) of participants were agree or strongly agree that patient with cold must receive IV Fluid to get well. While the majority of participants disagreed that IV fluid therapy strengthens the body (mean = 2.08 ± 1.02) or boosts immunity (mean = 2.03 ± 0.98), many perceived it as effective in infection elimination (mean = 3.81 ± 1.24) and disease prevention (mean = 3.18 ± 1.09). The majority of participants-81.92%, 88.49%, and 89.04%-agreed that sneezing, runny nose, and mild fever, respectively, required IV fluids. Key information sources were specialists (mean = 4.17 ± 1.17) and medical journals (mean = 3.83 ± 1.18), while general practitioners (mean = 2.43 ± 1.21) and social networks (mean = 2.6 ± 1.33) were less utilized.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for public health education on the natural course of the common cold and the appropriate use of ED services to reduce unnecessary IV fluid administration.