Diagnose und Therapie von Atemwegsinfektionen (ohne ambulant erworbene Pneumonie) bei ambulant behandelten Kindern ohne schwerwiegende Grunderkrankung: Gemeinsame Empfehlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Infektiologie (DGPI), der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde (DGKJ), der Deutschen Akademie für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin (DAKJ) und des Berufsverbandes der Kinder- und Jugendärzte (BVKJ)

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.

Prescription of antibiotics in the medical care of newly arrived refugees and migrants

PURPOSE

Unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics is a widespread problem in primary care. However, current data on the care of refugees and migrants in initial reception centers is pending. This article provides data on prescription frequencies of various antibiotics and associated diagnoses.

METHODS

In this retrospective observational study, patient data of 3255 patients with 6376 medical contacts in two initial reception centers in Germany were analyzed. Patient data, collected by chart review, included sociodemographic characteristics, diagnoses, and prescriptions. Antibiotic prescription behavior and corresponding physician-coded diagnoses were analyzed.

RESULTS

Nineteen percent of all patients in our study received systemic antibiotics during the observation period, with children below the age of 10 years receiving antibiotics most frequently (24%). The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were penicillins (65%), macrolides (12%), and cephalosporins (7%). The most frequent diagnoses associated with antibiotic prescription were acute tonsillitis (26%), bronchitis (21%), infections of the upper respiratory tract (14%), and urinary tract infections (10%). In case of acute bronchitis 74% of the antibiotic prescriptions were probably not indicated. In addition, we found a significant number of inappropriate prescriptions such as amoxicillin for tonsillitis (67%), and ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazol for urinary tract infections (49%).

CONCLUSION

Regarding inappropriate prescription of antibiotics in refugee healthcare, this study shows a rate ranging from 8% for upper respiratory tract infections to 75% for acute bronchitis. Unnecessary use of antibiotics is a global problem contributing to gratuitous costs, side effects, and antimicrobial resistance. This research contributes to the development of stringent antibiotic stewardship regiments in the particularly vulnerable population of migrants and refugees.

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

BACKGROUND

Pediatric outpatients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) comprise an important target population for antibiotic stewardship (ABS) intervention.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this qualitative study was to determine which clinical and contextual factors have a significant impact on antibiotic therapy (ABT) in pediatric patients with RTIs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online survey was developed and carried out in Germany in cooperation with the Federal Association of Pediatricians and the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Pediatricians and general practitioners were invited to participate.

RESULTS

The survey yielded 555 complete response data sets. Diagnostic uncertainty, time constraints for repeated consultations, and fear of complications were identified by 50% of both medical specialties as contextual factors fostering ABT. The risk of serious complications (e.g., mastoiditis) was overestimated by the majority of participants. More than 40% of respondents lacked knowledge concerning official guidelines, and RTIs with fever lasting longer than three days appeared to be an important criterion for ABT for 30-40%. Fewer than 60% of physicians were using a point-of-care device to determine C‑reactive protein.

CONCLUSION

Although most participants acknowledged the growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens as an important problem, this survey identifies targets for ABS in pediatric outpatients with RTIs. Ongoing education and training (e.g., better communication strategies in response to parental concerns) should become mandatory for those who prescribe ABT for children with RTIs.

[Antibiotic therapy in Bielefeld (AnTiB)-a local project for the promotion of rational antibiotic prescribing in the outpatient pediatric sector]

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem - a consequence of uncritical use, especially of "last-resort" antibiotics. Approaches towards a more rational use of antibiotics have so far focused on the inpatient sector, whereas the majority of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient sector. Therefore, there is demand for innovative approaches for the latter sector. The project Antibiotic Therapy in Bielefeld ("AnTiB"), founded in 2016 by pediatricians active in the outpatient pediatric sector, developed respective structures and measures at the local level.

OBJECTIVES

The development of local recommendations, suitable for everyday practice, for antibiotic prescription in frequent infectious conditions, are described.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In order to develop these recommendations, evidence from the literature and practice guidelines was collected. In a structured process, mainly via quality circles, the contents were consented locally and then put under external expert review. Together with the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Westphalia-Lippe (KVWL), antibiotic prescription data were collected exemplarily for 2016.

RESULTS

The first version of the respective pediatric recommendations was published in January 2017. Meanwhile, comparable recommendations for outpatient gynecologists and adult GPs were released. Antibiotic prescription data from 2016 show an important spread of antibiotic prescription prevalences in general as well as with respect to single agent classes.

CONCLUSIONS

Locally consented practical recommendations may contribute to a local "culture" of antibiotic prescription behavior. The pediatric recommendations locally have so far gained good coverage and high acceptance. Transfer to other regions or medical disciplines seems possible and reasonable. In the future, the effects of such projects on the prescription behavior will be measurable by the comparison of prescription data.

Subtype-specific Clinical Presentation, Medical Treatment and Family Impact of Influenza in Children 1-5 Years of Age Treated in Outpatient Practices in Germany During Three Postpandemic Years, 2013-2015

BACKGROUND

Limited data on the influenza burden in pediatric outpatients are available, especially regarding direct comparison of the cocirculating (sub)types A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B.

METHODS

Children 1-5 years of age, unvaccinated against influenza and presenting with febrile acute respiratory infections (ARIs), were enrolled in 33 pediatric practices in Germany from 2013 to 2015 (January-May). Influenza was confirmed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction from pharyngeal swabs and (sub)typed.

RESULTS

In 805 children with ARI, influenza was the most frequently detected respiratory virus (n = 305; 37.9%). Of 217 influenza patients included, 122 (56.2%) were infected with A(H3N2), 56 (25.8%) with A(H1N1)pdm09 and 39 (18.0%) with B. Median age was 3.7 years [interquartile range (IQR), 2.1-4.8]; 11% had underlying conditions. Median fever duration was 4 days (IQR, 3-5), and the disease duration was 9 days (IQR, 7-12). Most frequent diagnoses were pharyngitis (26%), bronchitis (18%) and acute otitis media (10%). Children received mainly antipyretics (86%) and adrenergic nasal drops/spray (53%); 9% received antibiotics and 3% oseltamivir. Thirty-six percent required at least 1 additional practice visit; 1% was hospitalized. Median absences from childcare were 5 days (IQR, 3-7); parents lost 4 workdays (IQR, 2-6). Symptoms, severity and impact on the family were largely unrelated to (sub)type. However, patients with A(H1N1)pdm09 had fewer underlying conditions (P = 0.017), whereas patients with B more often had pharyngitis (P = 0.022), acute otitis media (P = 0.012) and stenosing laryngotracheitis (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Influenza was the most frequently detected viral pathogen in outpatient children with febrile, mostly uncomplicated ARI. In this setting, clinical manifestations and severity were similar across the (sub)types prevalent during the postpandemic seasons.