الفهرس 
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Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat worldwide and a major threat to global health security, with an increasing number of resistant microbial strains reported each year across both human and animal populations in developed and developing countries. Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are one of the major causes of childhood morbidity. Moreover, it is one of the most common reasons for children seeking health care in the outpatient settings, posing a large burden on society and the health care system. Unfortunately, many people continue to believe that getting treated with antibiotics will relief URIs symptoms and will get them better quickly. Over-prescription and inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions may lead to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), risk of adverse drug reactions and reinforce the medicalization of self-limiting URIs . For that, examining prescriptions for childhood URIs is a commonly accepted strategy to evaluate rationality of antibiotic use. Aims of the study: The objectives of the study were to investigate physicians’ antibiotic prescribing behaviour and to identify its determinant for further planning of appropriate interventions to optimize antibiotic prescriptions in paediatric cases of acute URIs. Methodology: The current study adapted a mixed method approach consisting of quantitative and qualitative parts. Quantitative part was a cross-sectional study and total coverage sampling technique was used. It included 182 non-specialized physicians dealing with acute upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) in pediatrics sittings in Assiut district, Egypt. Using a self-administered questionnaire to assess physicians’ knowledge, attitude, and practice. In addition, four clinical vignettes addressing different URIs scenarios were included in the questionnaire to assess the patterns of antibiotic prescriptions in common cases. Data were collected from September 2021 to February 2022 as these are the months of the year with increased URIs (Fall and winter seasons). Qualitative part was conducted from January 2023 to March 2023, employing purposive sampling to capture a diverse range of experiences. The study sample included thirteen participants. Data has been collected by in-depth interviews and thematic analysis was conducted to explore themes and sub-themes. Ethical committee approvals and administrative permissions were taken before data collection.