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Burvenich R, De Boodt S, Lowie L, Janssens A, Beerten SG, Vaes B, Toelen J, Verbakel JY. Temporal trends in antibiotic prescribing and serious and nonserious infections in children presenting to general practice: a registry-based longitudinal cohort study of 162 507 individuals. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024:dkae117. [PMID: 38714502 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkae117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is crucial to understand the trends in paediatric antibiotic prescribing and serious and nonserious infections to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for children in ambulatory care. OBJECTIVES Assessing trends in paediatric antibiotic prescribing and infection incidence in general practice from 2002 to 2022. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study using INTEGO network data from 162 507 patients in Flanders (Belgium), we calculated antibiotic prescribing rates and proportions alongside incidence rates of serious and nonserious infections, stratified by age (0-1, 2-6, 7-12 years) and municipality. We performed autoregressive moving average time-series analyses and seasonality analyses. RESULTS From 2002 to 2022, antibiotic prescribing rate decreased significantly: 584/1000 person-years (PY) (95% CI 571-597) to 484/1000PY (95% CI 478-491); so did antibiotic overall prescribing proportion: 46.3% (95% CI 45.1-47.6) to 23.3% (95% CI 22.9-23.7) (59.3% amoxicillin and 17.8% broad spectrum). Prescribing proportions dropped significantly for nonserious (45.6% to 20.9%) and increased for serious infections (64.1% to 69.8%). Proportions significantly dropped for acute suppurative otitis media (74.7% to 64.1%), upper respiratory tract infections (44.9% to 16.6%), bronchitis/bronchiolitis (73.6% to 44.1%) and acute tonsillopharyngitis (59.5% to 21.7%), while significantly increasing for pneumonia (65.2% to 80.2%). Nonserious and serious infection incidence rates increased from 785/1000PY and 34.2/1000PY to 1223/1000PY and 64.1/1000PY, respectively. Blood and CRP testing proportions increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS Antibiotic prescribing in general practice for children declined from 2002 to 2022. Further targeted antibiotic stewardship initiatives are needed to reduce the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antibiotic prescribing for conditions such as otitis media and bronchitis/bronchiolitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Burvenich
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Unit for Health and Technology Assessment Research (LUHTAR), KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Department of Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare, Ghent University, 10 Corneel Heymanslaan, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia
| | - Sien De Boodt
- Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 49 Herestraat, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Lien Lowie
- Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 49 Herestraat, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Arne Janssens
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Simon Gabriël Beerten
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Bert Vaes
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Jaan Toelen
- Woman and Child, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Yvan Verbakel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Unit for Health and Technology Assessment Research (LUHTAR), KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, NIHR Community Healthcare Medtech and IVD Cooperative, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Lajeunesse B, Gottlieb M, Long B. What Is the Efficacy of Antibiotic Treatment for Children Diagnosed With Acute Otitis Media? Ann Emerg Med 2024:S0196-0644(24)00097-0. [PMID: 38530671 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Lajeunesse
- Department of Emergency Medicine, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, Fort Sam Houston, TX
| | - Michael Gottlieb
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Brit Long
- Department of Emergency Medicine, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, Fort Sam Houston, TX
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Dillen H, Wouters J, Snijders D, Wynants L, Verbakel JY. Factors associated with inappropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for acutely ill children presenting to ambulatory care in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024; 79:498-511. [PMID: 38113395 PMCID: PMC10904728 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkad383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acutely ill children are at risk of unwarranted antibiotic prescribing. Data on the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions provide insights into potential tailored interventions to promote antibiotic stewardship. OBJECTIVES To examine factors associated with the inappropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for acutely ill children presenting to ambulatory care in high-income countries. METHODS On 8 September 2022, we systematically searched articles published since 2002 in MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and grey literature databases. We included studies with acutely ill children presenting to ambulatory care settings in high-income countries reporting on the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Pooled ORs were calculated using random-effects models. Meta-regression, sensitivity and subgroup analysis were also performed. RESULTS We included 40 articles reporting on 30 different factors and their association with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. 'Appropriateness' covered a wide range of definitions. The following factors were associated with increased inappropriate antibiotic prescribing: acute otitis media diagnosis [pooled OR (95% CI): 2.02 (0.54-7.48)], GP [pooled OR (95% CI) 1.38 (1.00-1.89)] and rural setting [pooled OR (95% CI) 1.47 (1.08-2.02)]. Older patient age and a respiratory tract infection diagnosis have a tendency to be positively associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, but pooling of studies was not possible. CONCLUSIONS Prioritizing acute otitis media, GPs, rural areas, older children and respiratory tract infections within antimicrobial stewardship programmes plays a vital role in promoting responsible antibiotic prescribing. The implementation of a standardized definition of appropriateness is essential to evaluate such programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannelore Dillen
- EPI-Centre, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Academic Centre for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Jo Wouters
- Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 49 Herestraat, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Daniëlle Snijders
- Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 49 Herestraat, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Laure Wynants
- EPI-Centre, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Department of Epidemiology, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, 1 Peter Debyeplein, Maastricht, 6229 HA, The Netherlands
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, 49 Herestraat, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Jan Y Verbakel
- EPI-Centre, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Academic Centre for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 7 Kapucijnenvoer, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- NIHR Community Healthcare MedTech and IVD cooperative, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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Paduchová Z, Nagyová Z, Wang D, Muchová J. The impact of probiotics and vitamin C on the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms in two preschool children cohorts. Nutr Res Pract 2024; 18:98-109. [PMID: 38352209 PMCID: PMC10861338 DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2024.18.1.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The efficacy of Lab4 probiotic and vitamin C combination on the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) was investigated in two studies with children. Our objective was to pool dataset of 57 preschool children from the PROCHILD study (ISRCTN28722693) and the dataset of 50 preschool matched cohort from the PROCHILD-2 study (ISRCTN26587549) to evaluate the impact of probiotic/vitamin C combination on the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms and provide a more robust assessment of effect using detailed individual level data. SUBJECTS/METHODS The children were supplemented daily for 6 months with either the multistrain probiotic (1.25×1010 cfu/tablet consisting of two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL21 and CUL60, Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL20 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CUL34) plus 50 mg vitamin C or a placebo. RESULTS In the pooled analysis of the individual participant data (per protocol population), significant reductions were observed for the incidence (-25%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66, 0.85; P < 0.0001) and duration (-14.9 days; 95% CI, -24.8, -5.1; P = 0.0030) of typical URTI symptoms in the active group compared with the placebo. The incidence rates of absenteeism from preschool (IR ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66, 0.86; P < 0.0001), paediatric visits (IR ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.47; 0.68; P < 0.0001) and antibiotic usage (IR ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.39, 0.71; P < 0.0001) were also significantly reduced. CONCLUSION The pooled analysis findings of comparable preschool cohorts from two studies indicate that the supplementation with probiotic and vitamin C combination is beneficial in the prevention and management of URTI symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Paduchová
- Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Nagyová
- JuvenaliaA Paediatric Centre, 929 01 Dunajská Streda, Slovakia
| | - Duolao Wang
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Muchová
- Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Burvenich R, Heytens S, De Sutter A, Struyf T, Toelen J, Verbakel JY. Towards an international consensus on safety netting advice for acutely ill children presenting to ambulatory care: a modified e-Delphi procedure. Arch Dis Child 2024; 109:93-99. [PMID: 38123917 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Develop a consensus on the content and form of safety netting advice (SNA) for parents of acutely ill children. DESIGN Four-round modified e-Delphi using online questionnaires and feedback among clinical and research experts. SETTING Ambulatory care in high-income countries. PARTICIPANTS Forty-one experts from 13 countries: 3 emergency physicians, 15 general practitioners, 4 nurses and 19 paediatricians. RESULTS The experts defined the content of SNA as advice on the normal, expected disease course of the provisional diagnosis, diagnostic uncertainty, alarm signs that indicate the need for medical help and information on where and how to find such help. Regarding the form of the SNA, the experts agree that a reliable source should give SNA verbally with paper or digital written or video/image resources at every appropriate healthcare encounter in a short and simple empowering fashion, specific to the child's situation and seek confirmatory feedback from parents. CONCLUSIONS SNA needs to contain advice on the expected disease course, alarm signs and where and how to find help. It should be given verbally with written resources by a reliable healthcare professional or digital platform. Short, simple and specific, SNA needs to empower the parent whose understanding of the advice should be checked. The effectiveness of SNA resources coproduced by parents and experts should be assessed in different settings and those providing SNA require up-to-date and reliable training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Burvenich
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefan Heytens
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - An De Sutter
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Struyf
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jaan Toelen
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Y Verbakel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- NIHR Community Healthcare Medtech and IVD cooperative, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Venekamp RP, Sanders SL, Glasziou PP, Rovers MM. Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023; 11:CD000219. [PMID: 37965923 PMCID: PMC10646935 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd000219.pub5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common diseases in childhood for which antibiotics are commonly prescribed; a systematic review reported a pooled prevalence of 85.6% in high-income countries. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in the Cochrane Library in 1997 and updated in 1999, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2015. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of antibiotics for children with AOM. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Current Contents, CINAHL, LILACS and two trial registers. The date of the search was 14 February 2023. SELECTION CRITERIA We included randomised controlled trials comparing 1) antimicrobial drugs with placebo, and 2) immediate antibiotic treatment with expectant observation (including delayed antibiotic prescribing) in children with AOM. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently screened trials for inclusion and extracted data using the standard methodological procedures recommended by Cochrane. Our primary outcomes were: 1) pain at various time points (24 hours, two to three days, four to seven days, 10 to 14 days), and 2) adverse effects likely to be related to the use of antibiotics. Secondary outcomes were: 1) abnormal tympanometry findings, 2) tympanic membrane perforation, 3) contralateral otitis (in unilateral cases), 4) AOM recurrences, 5) serious complications related to AOM and 6) long-term effects (including the number of parent-reported AOM symptom episodes, antibiotic prescriptions and health care utilisation as assessed at least one year after randomisation). We used the GRADE approach to rate the overall certainty of evidence for each outcome of interest. MAIN RESULTS Antibiotics versus placebo We included 13 trials (3401 children and 3938 AOM episodes) from high-income countries, which we assessed at generally low risk of bias. Antibiotics do not reduce pain at 24 hours (risk ratio (RR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78 to 1.01; 5 trials, 1394 children; high-certainty evidence), or at four to seven days (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.14; 7 trials, 1264 children), but result in almost a third fewer children having pain at two to three days (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.88; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) 20; 7 trials, 2320 children; high-certainty evidence), and likely result in two-thirds fewer having pain at 10 to 12 days (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.66; NNTB 7; 1 trial, 278 children; moderate-certainty evidence). Antibiotics increase the risk of adverse events such as vomiting, diarrhoea or rash (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.63; number needed to treat for an additional harmful outcome (NNTH) 14; 8 trials, 2107 children; high-certainty evidence). Antibiotics reduce the risk of children having abnormal tympanometry findings at two to four weeks (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.96; NNTB 11; 7 trials, 2138 children), slightly reduce the risk of experiencing tympanic membrane perforations (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.89; NNTB 33; 5 trials, 1075 children) and halve the risk of contralateral otitis episodes (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.95; NNTB 11; 4 trials, 906 children). However, antibiotics do not reduce the risk of abnormal tympanometry findings at six to eight weeks (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.13; 3 trials, 953 children) and at three months (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.34; 3 trials, 809 children) or late AOM recurrences (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.11; 6 trials, 2200 children). Severe complications were rare, and the evidence suggests that serious complications do not differ between children treated with either antibiotics or placebo. Immediate antibiotics versus expectant observation We included six trials (1556 children) from high-income countries. The evidence suggests that immediate antibiotics may result in a reduction of pain at two to three days (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.79; NNTB 8; 1 trial, 396 children; low-certainty evidence), but probably do not reduce the risk of pain at three to seven days (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.12; 4 trials, 959 children; moderate-certainty evidence), and may not reduce the risk of pain at 11 to 14 days (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.10; 1 trial, 247 children; low-certainty evidence). Immediate antibiotics increase the risk of vomiting, diarrhoea or rash (RR 1.87, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.51; NNTH 10; 3 trials, 946 children; high-certainty evidence). Immediate antibiotics probably do not reduce the proportion of children with abnormal tympanometry findings at four weeks and evidence suggests that immediate antibiotics may not reduce the risk of tympanic membrane perforation and AOM recurrences. No serious complications occurred in either group. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS This review reveals that antibiotics probably have no effect on pain at 24 hours, a slight effect on pain in the days following and only a modest effect on the number of children with tympanic perforations, contralateral otitis episodes and abnormal tympanometry findings at two to four weeks compared with placebo in children with AOM. In high-income countries, most cases of AOM spontaneously remit without complications. The benefits of antibiotics must be weighed against the possible harms: for every 14 children treated with antibiotics, one child experienced an adverse event (such as vomiting, diarrhoea or rash) that would not have occurred if antibiotics were withheld. For most children with mild disease in high-income countries, an expectant observational approach seems justified. Therefore, clinical management should emphasise advice about adequate analgesia and the limited role for antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roderick P Venekamp
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Sharon L Sanders
- Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Paul P Glasziou
- Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Maroeska M Rovers
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Staiano A, Bjerrum L, Llor C, Melbye H, Hopstaken R, Gentile I, Plate A, van Hecke O, Verbakel JY. C-reactive protein point-of-care testing and complementary strategies to improve antibiotic stewardship in children with acute respiratory infections in primary care. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1221007. [PMID: 37900677 PMCID: PMC10602801 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1221007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper provides the perspective of an international group of experts on the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing (POCT) and complementary strategies such as enhanced communication skills training and delayed prescribing to improve antibiotic stewardship in the primary care of children presenting with an acute illness episode due to an acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). To improve antibiotics prescribing decisions, CRP POCT should be considered to complement the clinical assessment of children (6 months to 14 years) presenting with an ARTI in a primary care setting. CRP POCT can help decide whether a serious infection can be ruled out, before deciding on further treatments or management, when clinical assessment is unconclusive. Based on the evidence currently available, a CRP value can be a valuable support for clinical reasoning and facilitate communication with patients and parents, but the clinical assessment should prevail when making a therapy or referral decision. Nearly half of children tested in the primary care setting can be expected to have a CRP value below 20 mg/l, in which case it is strongly suggested to avoid prescribing antibiotics when the clinical assessment supports ruling out a severe infection. For children with CRP values greater than or equal to 20 mg/l, additional measures such as additional diagnostic tests, observation time, re-assessment by a senior decision-maker, and specialty referrals, should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Staiano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Lars Bjerrum
- Centre for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carl Llor
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Hasse Melbye
- General Practice Research Unit, Department of Community Medicine, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Rogier Hopstaken
- Department of General Practice, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ivan Gentile
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Andreas Plate
- Institute of Primary Care, University and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver van Hecke
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- NIHR Community Healthcare Medtech and IVD Cooperative, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Y. Verbakel
- NIHR Community Healthcare Medtech and IVD Cooperative, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- EPI-Centre, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academisch Centrum Voor Huisartsgeneeskunde, Leuven & NIHR Community Healthcare Medtech and IVD cooperative, Leuven, Belgium
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Last K, Simon A, Gärtner BC, Becker SL, Papan C. Attitudes of primary care physicians towards antimicrobial stewardship and the impact of a multi-part training course - a pilot study. GMS Hyg Infect Control 2023; 18:Doc24. [PMID: 38025891 PMCID: PMC10665713 DOI: 10.3205/dgkh000450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Background A plethora of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs has been initiated during the past years, focusing on hospital settings. Primary-care physicians have seldom been addressed, although the majority of antibiotic prescriptions are issued for outpatients. We sought to investigate attitudes of primary-care physicians and the impact of a customized training course. Methods Primary-care physicians in southwest Germany were invited to a multi-part training course on AMS in the primary-care setting. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire about their attitude and factors that hinder them from implementing AMS or enable them to perform AMS. In addition, a knowledge assessment exam at the beginning and end of the training was conducted on selected infectious diseases/syndromes. Results In total, 36 primary-care physicians participated in the training course. The predominant age group was 51-60 years old (36%; 13/36). The majority, 23/35 (66%), indicated never having had AMS training, while 22/35 (63%) acknowledged partly implementing AMS activities in their daily routine. The primary barrier was lack of expertise, while the main motives were reducing antimicrobial resistance and optimizing patient care. The provision of guidelines was regarded as more important than feedback on their prescription behavior. Exam performance improved from the initial to the final exam on all topics. Conclusion Customized AMS training courses are a feasible and potentially complimentary tool to address antibiotic misuse in the primary-care setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Last
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Arne Simon
- Pediatric Oncology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany
| | - Barbara C. Gärtner
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sören L. Becker
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Cihan Papan
- Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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Mohanty S, Podmore B, Cuñado Moral A, Weiss T, Matthews I, Sarpong E, Méndez I, Qizilbash N. Incidence of acute otitis media from 2003 to 2019 in children ≤ 17 years in England. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:201. [PMID: 36717794 PMCID: PMC9885604 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-14982-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced in 2006 and the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2010 in the UK. PCVs are active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia and acute otitis media (AOM) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children. The aim of this observational study was to estimate incidence rates (IRs) of AOM in children ≤17 years from 2003 to 2019 in England, before and after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). METHODS AOM episodes were identified using Read diagnosis codes in children aged ≤17 years in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Gold database from 2003 to 2019. Annual IRs with 95% confidence intervals (CI) by age group were calculated as the number of episodes/person-years (PY) at risk. Interrupted time series analyses were conducted to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) across post-PCV7 (2007-2009), early post-PCV13 (2011-2014) and late post-PCV13 (2015-2019) periods compared to the pre-PCV7 period (2003-2005) using generalized linear models. RESULTS From 2003 to 2019, 274,008 all-cause AOM episodes were identified in 1,500,686 children. The overall AOM IR was 3690.9 (95% CI 3677.1-3704.8) per 100,000 PY. AOM IRs were highest in children aged < 5 years and decreased by age; < 2 years: 8286.7 (95% CI 8216.8-8357.1); 2-4 years: 7951.8 (95% CI 7902.5-8001.4); 5-17 years: 2184.4 (95% CI 2172.1-2196.8) (per 100,000 PY). Overall AOM IRs declined by 40.3% between the pre-PCV7 period and the late-PCV13 period from 4451.9 (95% CI 4418.1-4485.9) to 2658.5 (95% CI 2628.6-2688.7) per 100,000 PY, and across all age groups. IRRs indicated a significant decrease in AOM IRs in all the post-vaccination periods, compared to the pre-PCV7 period: post-PCV7 0.87 (95% CI 0.85-0.89), early post-PCV13 0.88 (95% CI 0.86-0.91), and late post-PCV13 0.75 (95% CI 0.73-0.78). CONCLUSIONS The AOM IRs declined during the 2003-2019 period; however, the clinical burden of AOM remains substantial among children ≤17 years in England.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salini Mohanty
- Merck & Co., Inc, Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence (CORE), Rahway, NJ, USA.
| | - Bélène Podmore
- OXON Epidemiology Ltd, Epidemiology & Statistics, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Thomas Weiss
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Merck & Co., Inc, Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence (CORE), Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Ian Matthews
- grid.419737.f0000 0004 6047 9949MSD (UK) Ltd, Value, Access and Devolved nations (VAD), London, UK
| | - Eric Sarpong
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Merck & Co., Inc., Real-world Data Analytics and Innovation (RDAI), Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Ignacio Méndez
- OXON Epidemiology Ltd, Epidemiology & Statistics, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nawab Qizilbash
- OXON Epidemiology Ltd, Epidemiology & Statistics, Madrid, Spain
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