[Prescribing of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections in German outpatient pediatric care : Results of a survey of pediatricians and general practitioners]

Development and maintenance of consensus recommendations on pediatric outpatient antibiotic therapy in Germany: a framework for rational use

In pediatric outpatient care, overuse and misuse of antibiotics is linked to a high risk of adverse events and increased antibiotic resistance. In 2019, building upon the work of the Antibiotic Therapy in Bielefeld (AnTiB) project (founded in 2016), a collaboration among the AnTiB, the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI), and the Professional Association of Outpatient Pediatricians and Adolescent Physicians (BVKJ) was established to develop consensus recommendations for antibiotic therapy in pediatric outpatient settings in Germany. This working group became the Antibiotic Stewardship in Outpatient Pediatrics (ABSaP). ABSaP institutes recommendations for antibiotic use in outpatient pediatric settings in Germany and updates them regularly. The ABSaP guidelines recommend restrictive, targeted, evidence-based prescription practices for antibiotics used to treat common infections among pediatric outpatients. This expert-driven, pragmatic, best-practice guidance is designed to be a living document. ABSaP's most recent update was published in March 2024. The recommendations aim to guide and standardize rational antibiotics use by emphasizing the importance of avoiding unnecessary prescriptions, while also promoting the application of narrow-spectrum antibiotics, short-duration therapy, and watchful waiting, when treating mild, self-limiting infections in children without significant risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

ABSaP's guidelines may provide a model for others, as well as offer a basis for discussing practical, effective antibiotic stewardship (ABS) measures in pediatric primary care. An international, expert consensus on ABS for pediatric outpatients could help promote a culture of responsible antibiotic use, improve prescribing safety, and contribute to broader ABS efforts.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are associated with adverse events and increased antibiotic resistance, prompting the need for effective antibiotic stewardship initiatives. • The Antibiotic Stewardship in Outpatient Pediatrics (ABSaP) working group was established to develop and regularly update evidence-based best practice recommendations for the targeted and restrictive use of antibiotics in pediatric outpatient settings in Germany.

WHAT IS NEW

• The most recent update of the ABSaP guidelines was published in March 2024, emphasizing the importance of narrow-spectrum antibiotics, short-duration therapy, and watchful waiting for mild infections, aiming to standardize rational antibiotic use in children. • The ABSaP guidelines have become widely accepted in Germany and are now being translated into English to foster international dialogue and collaboration on antibiotic stewardship in pediatric primary care, potentially serving as a model for similar initiatives in other countries.

[Outpatient Antibiotic Prescription Rates and Mastoiditis in Children and Adolescents, Saarland, 2014-2019]

BACKGROUND

Infections of the respiratory tract are the main indication for outpatient antibiotic therapy in children and adolescents. In recent years the antibiotic prescription rate (APR) in the pediatric population has decreased significantly.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the retrospective mastoiditis audit in the PaedineSaar network is to investigate the incidence of inpatient acute mastoiditis (AM) in Saarland (2014-2019) regarding to the decreasing APRs in children, as well as to gather data of the clinical course of AM.

METHODS

All inpatient AM cases 2014-2019 were analyzed retrospectively from 6 hospitals for pediatrics and/or otorhinolaryngology in Saarland and Trier. Children and adolescents aged 0-17 years and residing in Saarland were included in the study.

RESULTS

2014-2019 53 inpatient treated AM cases have been recorded. During the study period there was no significant increase of AM incidence (mean incidence 2014-2019: 6.1/100,000). 34% (18/53) of the patients received prehospital antibiotic treatment (main indication: acute otitis media (AOM) 15/18, 83%). At least one complication occurred in 30% of the patients (16/53). There was a slight trend to more complications in children without oral antibiotic treatment before admission (14/35 (40%) vs. 2/18 (11%) p=0.056).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of AM leading to inpatient treatment in children in Saarland did not increase 2014-2019 despite a significant and sustained decline in the outpatient APRs. The results of this audit should be used for the development of a more standardized approach concerning the diagnostics and treatment of children with AM.

Management of Common Infections in German Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge and Confidence among General Practitioners and Outpatient Pediatricians

Outpatient antibiotic use is closely related to antimicrobial resistance and in Germany, almost 70% of antibiotic prescriptions in human health are issued by primary care physicians (PCPs). The aim of this study was to explore PCPs, namely General Practitioners' (GPs) and outpatient pediatricians' (PDs) knowledge of guideline recommendations on rational antimicrobial treatment, the determinants of confidence in treatment decisions and the perceived need for training in this topic in a large sample of PCPs from southern Germany. Out of 3753 reachable PCPs, 1311 completed the survey (overall response rate = 34.9%). Knowledge of guideline recommendations and perceived confidence in making treatment decisions were high in both GPs and PDs. The two highest rated influencing factors on prescribing decisions were reported to be guideline recommendations and own clinical experiences, hence patients' demands and expectations were judged as not influencing treatment decisions. The majority of physicians declared to have attended at least one specific training course on antibiotic use, yet almost all the participating PCPs declared to need more training on this topic. More studies are needed to explore how consultation-related and context-specific factors could influence antibiotic prescriptions in general and pediatric primary care in Germany beyond knowledge. Moreover, efforts should be undertaken to explore the training needs of PCPs in Germany, as this would serve the development of evidence-based educational interventions targeted to the improvement of antibiotic prescribing decisions rather than being focused solely on knowledge of guidelines.

Rückgang der ambulanten Antibiotikaverordnungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland 2010–2019. Regionale Entwicklung in den deutschen KV-Regionen

In den letzten 10 Jahren ist das Thema Antibiotic Stewardship (ABS) auch in der ambulanten Kinder- und Jugendmedizin immer stärker in den Vordergrund gerückt. Die vom Zentralinstitut für die kassenärztliche Versorgung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland regelmäßig ausgewerteten bundesweiten krankenkassenübergreifenden Arzneiverordnungsdaten gemäß § 300 Abs. 2 SGB V (gesetzlich Krankenversicherte) zeigen von 2010 bis 2019 eine starke Abnahme der Antibiotikaverordnungsraten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen (0 bis 14 Jahre) pro 1000 Versicherte, insbesondere bei Säuglingen (∆ −53 %) und Kleinkindern (∆ −46 %). Aus ABS-Perspektive werden weiterhin zu häufig Oralcephalosporine (v. a. Cefaclor und Cefuroxim) verordnet. Zudem persistieren starke regionale Unterschiede, die sich nicht durch Unterschiede in der Patientenpopulation oder im Erkrankungsspektrum erklären lassen.

Antibiotische Standardtherapie häufiger Infektionskrankheiten in der ambulanten Pädiatrie

Hintergrund

Die zunehmende Verbreitung von Antibiotikaresistenzen und die fehlende Weiterentwicklung von neuen Antibiotika erfordern eine rationale, leitlinienkonforme Antibiotikatherapie. Das gilt v. a. für die ambulante Medizin, in deren Bereich 85 % aller Antibiotika verordnet werden.

Ziele

Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Antibiotic Stewardship ambulante Pädiatrie hat praxisnahe Empfehlungen zur antibiotischen Standardtherapie häufiger Infektionskrankheiten in der pädiatrischen Praxis formuliert.

Material und Methoden

Die Empfehlungen berücksichtigen Leitlinien zur rationalen Antibiotikatherapie und sind nach einem Konsentierungsprozess unter Beteiligung der Fachgesellschaften Berufsverband der Kinder- und Jugendärzte (BVKJ) und Deutsche Gesellschaft für pädiatrische Infektiologie (DGPI) erstellt worden.

Ergebnisse

Kurz gefasste Empfehlungen zur antibiotischen Standardbehandlung der häufigsten ambulant erworbenen Infektionskrankheiten der oberen und unteren Atemwege, Harnwege, Haut, Augen und Darm sowie in der Kinderchirurgie.

Schlussfolgerung

Mit den Empfehlungen soll sowohl eine Reduktion als auch eine Verbesserung der Qualität der Antibiotikaverordnungen in der ambulanten Pädiatrie erreicht werden. Unnötige Antibiotikatherapien sollen vermieden bzw. rasch beendet werden. Bei unklaren Situationen ohne Risikokonstellation soll statt einer antibiotischen Therapie eine kurzfristige Kontrolle vorgenommen werden. Antibiotika sollen so kurz und so schmal wie möglich verschrieben werden. Topische Antibiotika sollen vermieden werden, ebenso kritische Antibiotika wie Cephalosporine und Azithromycin (Risikofaktoren für eine Resistenzentwicklung). Es wird angeregt, die Empfehlungen in einem lokalen intersektoralen Konsensprozess anzupassen, um breite Akzeptanz und Verbindlichkeit zu steigern sowie Konflikte zu reduzieren, die sich aus der hohen Variabilität der Verordnungspraxis ergeben.