Impact of 2011 French guidelines on antibiotic prescription for acute otitis media in infants

Antibiotic treatment to prevent pediatric acute otitis media infectious complications: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Most US children with acute otitis media [AOM] receive prompt antibiotic treatment, though guidelines encourage watchful waiting. Previous systematic reviews of antibiotics versus watchful waiting have focused on symptom resolution and RCTs, limiting the assessment of serious, rare complications. We sought to evaluate these complications by including observational studies.

METHODS

RCTs and observational studies that compared antibiotics to placebo or watchful waiting for pediatric clinician diagnosed AOM were identified [PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science] and reviewed for meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics, patient characteristics, and outcomes. We assessed publication bias, study bias with ROBINS-1 and RoB-2 and used random-effects models to assess treatment effects.

RESULTS

24 studies were included. Antibiotics decreased the risk of acute mastoiditis [incidence 0.02%, RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.40-0.59; NNT 5,368]. This protective effect may be underestimated because of misclassification of non-suppurative conditions as AOM. Intracranial complications remained too rare to assess. Antibiotics markedly increased the risk of adverse effects [incidence 10.5%, RR 1.49, 1.27-1.73; NNH 23]. Studies used non-specific criteria for acute mastoiditis, potentially underestimating treatment effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Prompt antibiotic therapy reduces the risk for some AOM complications. The NNT to prevent serious, rare complications is high, while the NNH is relatively low. Large-scale population-based observational studies using real-world datasets with validated measures of severe complications are needed to improve understanding of risk factors for serious AOM complications, facilitate more selective antibiotic therapy, and optimize individual outcomes and public health.

Watchful Waiting in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media: A Real Practice Approach or an Intangible Desideratum?

Acute otitis media (AOM) in children is one of the leading causes of health care visits and antibiotic prescriptions worldwide. The overall aim of the current study is twofold: 1. to analyze and discuss the antibiotic prescription patterns in AOM in children without complications or risk factors and 2. to assess to what extent the watchful-waiting approach is a real practice or a mere desideratum. We performed an electronic search in the PubMed and Embase databases from 2013 to 2023 to capture original research studies investigating antibiotic prescribing patterns for AOM in children. Among the 12 papers included in the analysis, the antibiotic prescription rate ranged from 44.8% to 98%. Our study reveals similarities regarding the use of amoxicillin as a first-line antibiotic in pediatric AOM, but also discrepancies in the watchful-waiting approach attitude and in the choice of second or third-line antimicrobial agents. The proportion of cases managed with the watchful-waiting approach ranged from 7.5% (Australia) to 55.2% (Finland). Denmark was the only country reporting penicillin V as a first-choice regimen for children with AOM, which fulfils the guidelines' recommendations. The most unsatisfying rate of amoxicillin use was recorded in Japan, contrary to the recommendations of local guidelines. The use of quinolones was reported in two out of twelve studies, with the highest proportion in Japan, where tosufloxacin was used in 21.4% of the total number of cases. The duration of the antibiotic regimens was analyzed in three out of twelve papers. Since global antibiotic overuse contributes to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, new strategies are needed to increase the rate of watchful waiting and to promote the judicious use of antibiotics.

Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing for 357,390 Children With Otitis Media

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate antibiotic prescriptions for children with otitis media (OM) in a large nationwide network of private clinics between 2014 and 2020. Special focus was paid to amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid prescriptions, which the national guidelines recommend for first-line drugs. We also focused on macrolides, which are commonly prescribed for respiratory tract infections in children but are not appropriate for OM cases.

METHODS

The data were obtained from the electronic health records of about 250,000 annual visits in <18 years old children. The collected variables were all diagnoses, age, visit year, doctor's specialty, and prescribed antibiotics. Children with OM and upper respiratory tract infections were included, but those with lower respiratory tract infections were excluded.

RESULTS

The number of children with OM was 357,390 (55.2% boys). Antibiotics were prescribed in 44.8% of cases, with the lowest proportion (44.1%) being in <2 years old children. The overall prescription rate decreased from 48.3% in 2014 to 41.4% in 2020. The rates were 19.3% and 18.1% for amoxicillin and 12.6% and 13.2% for amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, respectively. Macrolide prescriptions were reduced from 7.5% to 3.5%. Pediatricians prescribed antibiotics for 38.8%, general practitioners for 54.0% and ear, nose and throat physicians for 39.8% of children with OM.

CONCLUSION

The selection of antibiotics for OM, when prescribed, was according to the recommendations (amoxicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid) in 80.1% of pediatricians, 67.0% of general practitioners and 55.1% of ear, nose and throat physicians.

Watchful Waiting for Acute Otitis Media

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Updated guidelines continue to support watchful waiting as an option for uncomplicated acute otitis media (AOM) and provide explicit diagnostic criteria. To determine treatment prevalence and associated determinants of watchful waiting for AOM in commercially insured pediatric patients.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using IBM Marketscan Commercial Claims Databases (2005 to 2019) of patients 1 to 12 years old with AOM, without otitis-related complications within 6 months prior, with no tympanostomy tubes, and no other infections around index diagnosis of AOM. We examined monthly antibiotic treatment prevalence (defined as pharmacy dispensing within 3 days of AOM diagnosis) and used multivariable logistic regression models to examine determinants of watchful waiting.

RESULTS

Among 2 176 617 AOM episodes, 77.8% were treated within 3 days. Whereas some clinical characteristics were moderate determinants for watchful waiting, clinician antibiotic prescribing volume and specialty were strong determinants. Low-volume antibiotic prescribers (≥80% of AOM episodes managed with watchful waiting) had 11.61 (95% confidence interval 10.66-12.64) higher odds of using watchful waiting for the index AOM episode than high-volume antibiotic prescribers (≥80% treated). Otolaryngologists were more likely to adopt watchful waiting (odds ratio 5.45, 95% CI 5.21-5.70) than pediatricians, whereas other specialties deferred more commonly to antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

Adoption of watchful waiting for management of uncomplicated, nonrecurrent AOM was limited and stagnant across the study period and driven by clinician rather than patient factors. Future work should assess motivators for prescribing and evaluate patient outcomes among clinicians who generally prefer versus reject watchful waiting approaches to guide clinical decision-making.

Uropathogens Antimicrobial Sensitivity and Resistance Pattern From Outpatients in Balochistan, Pakistan

Objective To determine the pattern of microbes responsible for urinary tract infections and their susceptibility to different antibiotics. Method This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Quetta, Pakistan. The urine samples of 400 patients were collected and sent for culture and sensitivity analysis. The results were recorded on an excel datasheet. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. Results Out of 400 urine samples, 266 samples were culture positive for microorganisms. The most common organism on analysis was Escherichia coli 123/266 (46.24%) followed by Staphylococcus saprophyticus 59/266 (22.18%) and Klebsiella pneumonia 49/266 (18.42%). Gram-negative microorganisms were most susceptible to fosfomycin, cefoperazone/sulbactam, and meropenem. Gram-positive microorganisms were most susceptible to fosfomycin, cefoperazone/sulbactam, meropenem, and amoxicillin/clavulanate. High rates of resistance in E. coli were observed to most commonly prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics; ceftriaxone (64.35%), cefotaxime (76.54%), ceftazidime (49.43%), cefepime (53.44%), levofloxacin (71.26%), and amoxicillin/clavulanate (70.31%). E. coli was the major multidrug-resistant organism. Conclusion High rates of antibiotic resistance and multi-drug resistance were revealed in this study due to the widespread and injudicious use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Thus, it is highly recommended to regulate the pharmacies. Physicians should judiciously prescribe antibiotics and practice the culture and sensitivity of urine samples rather than blind prescription. Continued surveillance on uropathogens prevalence and resistance, new and next-generation antibiotics, and rapid diagnostic tests to differentiate viral from bacterial infections is the need of time.

Assessing the appropriateness of the management of otitis media in Australia: A population-based sample survey

AIM

Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common infectious disease for which antibiotics are prescribed; its management is costly and has the potential to increase the antimicrobial resistance of this infection. This study measured the levels of adherence to the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) of AOM and otitis media with effusion (OME) management in Australian children.

METHODS

We searched for national and international CPGs relating to AOM and OME in children and created 37 indicators for assessment. We reviewed medical records for adherence to these indicators in 120 locations, across one inpatient and three ambulatory health-care settings. Our review sample was obtained from three Australian states that contain 60% of the nation's children.

RESULTS

We reviewed the records of 1063 children with one or more assessments of CPG adherence for otitis media. Of 22 indicators with sufficient data, estimated adherence ranged from 7.4 to 99.1%. Overuse of treatment, particularly overprescribing of antibiotics, was more common than underuse. A frequent lack of adherence with recommended care was observed for children aged between 1 and 2 years with AOM. Adherence varied by health-care setting, with emergency departments and inpatient settings more adherent to CPGs than general practices.

CONCLUSIONS

Our assessment of a number of indicators in the common settings in which otitis media is treated found that guideline adherence varied widely between individual indicators. Internationally agreed standards for diagnosis and treatment, coupled with clinician education on the existence and content of CPGs and clinical decision support, are needed to improve the management of children presenting with AOM and OME.

Association between National Treatment Guidelines for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Outpatient Pediatric Antibiotic Use in France: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To test whether updated clinical practice guidelines for managing upper respiratory tract infections released in France in November 2011 were associated with changes in national outpatient pediatric antibiotic use.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed an interrupted time-series analysis using national antibiotic dispensation data in French children from January 2009 to December 2017 (IQVIA Suivi de la Dispensation Médicale database). We described the overall evolution of antibiotic prescription rates and modeled the changes in the proportion of amoxicillin and the proportion of broad-spectrum antibiotics following the guidelines in 2 age groups (0-5 and 6-14 years old).

RESULTS

We analyzed 123 million pediatric antibiotic prescriptions. The most commonly prescribed individual antibiotic agent was amoxicillin (37.7%). Over the study period, the annual antibiotic prescription rate decreased by 33.1% (from 1387 to 928 per 1000 pediatric inhabitants per year), consistently across age groups and major antibiotic agents except for amoxicillin (+14.4%). After the release of the guidelines, we observed a gradual increase in the proportion of amoxicillin (relative change 5 years postintervention of +64.3% [95% CI 51.6-80.1] and +28.4% [21.1-36.2] for children 0-5 and 6-14 years, respectively) concomitantly with a gradual decrease in the proportion of broad-spectrum antibiotics (relative change 5 years postintervention of -26.1% [-29.3, -23.7] and -19.8% [-22.1, -16.0] for children 0-5 and 6-14 years old, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The 2011 guidelines for upper respiratory tract infections preceded changes in outpatient pediatric antibiotic use at the national level, with a replacement of broad-spectrum antibiotics by amoxicillin.

Prevention of antibiotic resistance - an epidemiological scoping review to identify research categories and knowledge gaps

BACKGROUND

Antibiotics have become the cornerstone for the treatment of infectious diseases and contributed significantly to the dramatic global health development during the last 70 years. Millions of people now survive what were previously life-threatening infections. But antibiotics are finite resources and misuse has led to antibiotic resistance and reduced efficacy within just a few years of introduction of each new antibiotic. The World Health Organization rates antibiotic resistance as a 'global security threat' impacting on global health, food security and development and as important as terrorism and climate change.

OBJECTIVES

This paper explores, through a scoping review of the literature published during the past 20 years, the magnitude of peer-reviewed and grey literature that addresses antibiotic resistance and specifically the extent to which "prevention" has been at the core. The ultimate aim is to identify know-do gaps and strategies to prevent ABR.

METHODS

The review covers four main data bases, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus and Ebsco searched for 2000-17. The broader research field "antibiotic OR antimicrobial resistance" gave 431,335 hits. Narrowing the search criteria to "Prevention of antibiotic OR antimicrobial resistance" resulted in 1062 remaining titles. Of these, 622 were unique titles. After screening of the 622 titles for relevance, 420 abstracts were read, and of these 282 papers were read in full. An additional 53 references were identified from these papers, and 64 published during 2018 and 2019 were also included. The final scoping review database thus consisted of 399 papers.

RESULTS

A thematic structure emerged when categorizing articles in different subject areas, serving as a proxy for interest expressed from the research community. The research area has been an evolving one with about half of the 399 papers published during the past four years of the study period. Epidemiological modelling needs strengthening and there is a need for more and better surveillance systems, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. There is a wealth of information on the local and national uses and misuses of antibiotics. Educational and stewardship programmes basically lack evidence. Several studies address knowledge of the public and prescribers. The lessons for policy are conveyed in many alarming reports from national and international organizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Descriptive rather than theoretical ambitions have characterized the literature. If we want to better understand and explain the antibiotic situation from a behavioural perspective, the required approaches are lacking. A framework for an epidemiological causal web behind ABR is suggested and may serve to identify entry points for potential interventions.

Antibiotic prescription in the outpatient paediatric population attending emergency departments in Lombardy, Italy: a retrospective database review

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription in children seen in emergency departments (EDs) and to compare prescription profiles in ED and primary care.

DESIGN

This is a retrospective analysis of healthcare administrative databases.

SETTING

The study analysed data collected in emergency departments (EDs) and primary care practices (PCPs) in Lombardy, Italy.

PARTICIPANTS

Children and adolescents between 1 and 13 years old with an ED access and/or an antibiotic prescription in the first semester of 2012 participated in the study. Only those with an index event (ie, without ED access, hospital admissions or antibiotic prescriptions in the previous 60 days) were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcomes are percentage of subjects receiving amoxicillin (first-choice antibiotic) and percentages receiving macrolides/cephalosporins (second-choice therapies).

RESULTS

During the observation period, 133 275 children had one ED access, and 26 087 (19.6%) received an antibiotic prescription. In all, 56.1% of children seen for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) received an antibiotic, with a prevalence of 67.8% for otitis media and 56.4% for pharyngotonsillitis; 22.3% of children were given amoxicillin after a visit for URTIs, with no differences among infections, and 19.6% received macrolides and cephalosporins. Few differences were found when comparing the index antibiotic prescriptions in ED and PCP settings. A higher prescription of second-choice antibiotics was observed among children cared for by PCPs compared with children attending EDs (31.3% vs 23.4%, χ² _M-H=720, p<0.001). The place of residence was the main determinant of the qualitative profile of prescriptions.

CONCLUSIONS

More must be done to improve rational use of antibiotics in the ED and PCP setting, and educational interventions including physicians in both setting are strongly needed.

Benefits of combining change-point analysis with disproportionality analysis in pharmacovigilance signal detection

BACKGROUND

Change-point analysis (CPA) is a powerful method to analyse pharmacovigilance data but it has never been used on the disproportionality metric.

OBJECTIVES

To optimize signal detection investigating the interest of time-series analysis in pharmacovigilance and the benefits of combining CPA with the proportional reporting ratio (PRR).

METHODS

We investigated the couple benfluorex and aortic valve incompetence (AVI) using the French National Pharmacovigilance and EudraVigilance databases: CPA was applied on monthly counts of reports and the lower bound of monthly computed PRR (PRR-). We stated a CPA hypothesis that the substance-event combination is more likely to be a signal when the 2 following criteria are fulfilled: PRR- is greater than 1 with at least 5 cases, and CPA method detects at least 2 successive change points of PRR- which made consecutively increasing segments. We tested this hypothesis by 95 test cases identified from a drug safety reference set and 2 validated signals from EudraVigilance database: CPA was applied on PRR-.

RESULTS

For benfluorex and AVI, change points detected by CPA on PRR- were more meaningful compared with monthly counts of reports: More change points detected and detected earlier. In the reference set, 14 positive controls satisfied CPA hypothesis, 6 positive controls only met first requirements, 3 negative controls only met first requirement, and 2 validated signals satisfied CPA hypothesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of CPA and PRR represents a significant advantage in detecting earlier signals and reducing false-positive signals. This approach should be confirmed in further studies.

Impact of acute otitis media clinical practice guidelines on antibiotic and analgesic prescriptions: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Clinical practice guidelines focusing on judicious use of antibiotics for childhood acute otitis media (AOM) have been introduced in many countries around the world.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the effects of these guidelines on the prescription of antibiotics and analgesics for children with AOM.

METHODS

Systematic searches of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library from inception to 6 June 2017 using broad search terms. Studies specifically aimed at evaluating the effects of introduction of national AOM practice guidelines on type of antibiotic and/or analgesic prescriptions were included, irrespective of design, setting or language. The Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool was used to assess risk of bias.

RESULTS

Of 411 unique records retrieved, seven studies conducted in six different countries (France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA (twice)) compared data before and after guideline introduction. All studies had an observational design, using longitudinal data of children aged under 15 years (n=200-4.6 million) from either routine care, insurance databases or electronic surveys. Risk of bias of all studies was judged serious to critical.Of the five studies reporting on antibiotic prescription rates, three showed a decline of 5%-12% up to 3 years after guideline introduction and two found no or negligible effect. In one US study, the initial 9% decline decreased to 5% after 4-6 years. The recommended first choice antibiotic was prescribed more frequently (9%-58% increase) after guideline introduction in four out of five studies reporting on this outcome. Analgesic prescription rates for AOM were reported in one US study and increased from 14% to 24% after guideline introduction.

CONCLUSION

Based upon what is published, the effects of introduction of national clinical practice guidelines on antibiotic and analgesic prescribing for children with AOM seem modest at the most.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO: CRD42016050976.

Impact of Implementing National Guidelines on Antibiotic Prescriptions for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Pediatric Emergency Departments: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Background

Many antibiotics are prescribed inappropriately in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs), but little data are available in these settings about effective interventions based on guidelines that follow the antimicrobial stewardship principle. Our aim was to assess the impact of implementing the 2011 national guidelines on antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in PEDs.

Method

We conducted a multicentric, quasiexperimental, interrupted time series analysis of prospectively collected electronic data from 7 French PEDs. We included all pediatric patients who visited a participating PED during the study period from November 2009 to October 2014 and were diagnosed with an ARTI. The intervention consisted of local protocol implementation, education sessions, and feedback. The main outcome was the antibiotic prescription rate of discharge prescriptions for ARTI per 1000 PED visits before and after implementation, analyzed using the segmented regression model.

Results

We included 242534 patients with an ARTI. The intervention was associated with a significant change in slope for the antibiotic prescription rate per 1000 PED visits (-0.4% per 15-day period, P = .04), and the cumulative effect at the end of the study was estimated to be -30.9%, (95% CI [-45.2 to -20.1]), representing 13136 avoided antibiotic prescriptions. The broad-spectrum antibiotic prescription relative percentage decreased dramatically (-62.7%, 95% CI [-92.8; -32.7]) and was replaced by amoxicillin.

Conclusion

Implementation of the 2011 national French guidelines led to a significant decrease in the antibiotic prescription rate for ARTI and a dramatic drop in broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions, in favor of amoxicillin.

Antibiotic Resistance of Potential Otopathogens Isolated From Nasopharyngeal Flora of Children With Acute Otitis Media Before, During and After Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Implementation

BACKGROUND

To re-evaluate antibiotic strategies for acute otitis media (AOM) in young children, we analyzed the trends of nasopharyngeal carriage and antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mc) isolated from young children with AOM during a 16-year period.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study analyzed from 2001 to 2016 the nasopharyngeal carriage of Sp, Hi and Mc of young children with AOM. Medical history and physical findings were reported. Periods were defined by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction. We separately analyzed the 13-valent PCV (PCV13) period, which started after 2013.

RESULTS

During the study, 12,973 children with AOM were enrolled by 138 pediatricians. By comparing the first and last PCV periods, the proportion of children in day care centers and that of AOM with conjunctivitis significantly increased. The proportion of penicillin nonsusceptible Sp carriage significantly decreased during the study, with 0.8% of penicillin-resistant strains isolated in the PCV13 period, but that of β-lactamase-producing Hi continually increased to 23.6% in 2016. The level of Mc β-lactamase-producing strains remained high (>97%). In the PCV13 period, the main predictors of β-lactamase-producing Hi carriage were conjunctivitis (adjusted odds ratio = 6.0, 95% confidence interval [4.7-7.7]) and attending a day care center (2.4 [1.7-3.5]).

CONCLUSIONS

In the PCV13 period, the proportion of penicillin-resistant Sp carriage was very low and that of β-lactamase-producing Hi carriage did not exceed 20% among children with AOM and without conjunctivitis. Our results suggest that amoxicillin may remain the first-line antibiotic treatment for AOM in young children except for those with conjunctivitis, for which amoxicillin-clavulanate is still the best antibiotic.

Panel 7: Otitis Media: Treatment and Complications

Objective We aimed to summarize key articles published between 2011 and 2015 on the treatment of (recurrent) acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, tympanostomy tube otorrhea, chronic suppurative otitis media and complications of otitis media, and their implications for clinical practice. Data Sources PubMed, Ovid Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Clinical Evidence (BMJ Publishing). Review Methods All types of articles related to otitis media treatment and complications between June 2011 and March 2015 were identified. A total of 1122 potential related articles were reviewed by the panel members; 118 relevant articles were ultimately included in this summary. Conclusions Recent literature and guidelines emphasize accurate diagnosis of acute otitis media and optimal management of ear pain. Watchful waiting is optional in mild to moderate acute otitis media; antibiotics do shorten symptoms and duration of middle ear effusion. The additive benefit of adenoidectomy to tympanostomy tubes in recurrent acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion is controversial and age dependent. Topical antibiotic is the treatment of choice in acute tube otorrhea. Symptomatic hearing loss due to persistent otitis media with effusion is best treated with tympanostomy tubes. Novel molecular and biomaterial treatments as adjuvants to surgical closure of eardrum perforations seem promising. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of complementary and alternative treatments. Implications for Practice Emphasis on accurate diagnosis of otitis media, in its various forms, is important to reduce overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and antibiotic resistance. Children at risk for otitis media and its complications deserve special attention.

Adherence to acute otitis media diagnosis and treatment guidelines among Israeli otolaryngologists

INTRODUCTION

The recent Israeli acute otitis media (AOM) guidelines, drafted mainly by pediatricians and family physicians in 2013, addressed diagnostic and therapeutic issues, in order to reduce over-diagnosis and treatment. These guidelines are considered as the 'standard of care' for AOM management. While the adherence rate of pediatricians to previous Israeli AOM guidelines (2004) was reported to be high (>85%), the compliance of otolaryngologists has not been studied.

METHODS

An anonymous 19-item questionnaire was circulated among practicing Israeli otolaryngologists (residents [n = 93], specialists [n = 283]). All the items were scored according to the number of correct answers in line with the guidelines, and summed on a 0-100 scale.

RESULTS

Response rate was 34% (n = 127). Overall, scores of correct answers of residents (n = 48, 52% of all residents) and specialists (n = 79, 28% of all specialists) were similar, and showed comparable moderate adherence to both guidelines: 55.7 vs 58.3 (p = 0.26). Residents were more likely to adhere to the U.S. guidelines, when compared to specialists (score difference 6.1 vs 2.8, p = 0.008). Responders preferred the microscope for diagnosis (48%), over the recommended (pneumatic) otoscope (62%) (p = 0.05), and were more likely to start antibiotic therapy (62%), rather than the 'watchful waiting' (38%) (p = 0.03). Concerning antibiotic treatment, 50% of otolaryngologists prescribed amoxicillin as recommended, at 60-80 mg/kg/d.

CONCLUSION

The moderate adherence rate suggests that the guidelines were partially adopted by otolaryngologists, who use different instrumentation than recommended, and treat more severe/complicated cases. Over-treatment with antibiotics and inaccurate dosing regimens are still common. Better implementation of the AOM guidelines among otolaryngologists should be performed in designated training platforms.

Paediatric antibiotic prescriptions in primary care in the Alpes-Maritimes area of southeastern France between 2008 and 2013

France has remained among the top five European countries for ambulatory antibiotic consumption since such monitoring began in 1998. Young children are major antibiotic consumers, in spite of the viral origin of most infections in this population. Recommendations were updated in 2011 to limit prescriptions. In order to assess their impact, diagnoses and prescriptions were compared in a population of children attending daycare centres in southeastern France in 2008 and 2012. Trends in the reimbursement of paediatric antibiotic prescriptions by the national health insurance (NHI) for the whole area were also studied. Distribution of diagnoses accounting for antibiotic treatment and type of antibiotic prescribed over the previous 3 months to children below 4 years of age attending daycare centres in the Alpes-Maritimes area in southeastern France were compared between 2008 and 2012 prior to and following the availability of these new recommendations. Trends in reimbursed ambulatory antibiotic prescriptions by general practitioners and paediatricians in the area were studied for this age group from 2008 to 2012 and in 2013. The majority of recorded diagnoses concerned upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). Inappropriate antibiotic prescription persisted for colds and bronchitis in similar proportions during both surveys. Improvement in the choice of antibiotic with fewer prescriptions for third-generation cephalosporins was observed both in daycare centres and according to NHI data; however, this was mainly recorded among paediatricians. The management of paediatric URTI still needs improvement, pointing to the need to investigate and adequately address the reasons for inappropriate antibiotic prescription.

Use of antibiotics in paediatric primary care settings in Serbia

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to compare the quality of antibiotic use among children in primary settings with the internationally developed disease-specific quality indicators and with National Guidelines.

DESIGN

Prescriptions of systemic antibiotics to the paediatric population (<18 years) at the primary level of healthcare for the period between 2011 and 2013 were analysed by using the National Health Insurance Fund's outpatient reimbursement database.

RESULTS

The mean annual number of antibiotic prescriptions was 1.887.615, while the mean annual number of children receiving antibiotics was 728.285. The prescription rate slightly decreased by 10% from 1.516 antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 persons per year in 2011 to 1.365 in 2013. The highest percentage of prescribed antibiotics was observed in the group of children aged 2-23 months. The mean annual prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions was 54%. The percentage of patients prescribed an antibiotic for acute upper respiratory tract infections, acute tonsillitis and acute otitis media (AOM) was above the proposed range (≤ 20), 87% -96%. These three diagnoses represent more than 69% of all indications for prescribing antibiotics. The percentage of patients prescribed a recommended antibiotic was below the proposed range (≥ 80%), 1% -17%, while the adherence rate to National Guidelines was low, 19%-28%. The percentage of patients prescribed quinolones was above the proposed range for AOM (≤ 5%), 7%. There were no significant differences in indicators value at the regional level in Serbia.

CONCLUSIONS

Antibiotic use among children in Serbia is extremely high compared with that in most other European countries. Major problems are frequent use of antibiotics for indications that usually receive no benefit from this treatment and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Trends in antibiotic resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae isolated from nasopharyngeal flora in children with acute otitis media in France before and after 13 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction

BACKGROUND

After the implementation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), the marked shift in Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pnc) serotype distribution led to a modification in pneumococcal antibiotic susceptibility. In 2011, the pattern of antibiotic prescription in France for acute otitis media in infants was greatly modified, with decreased use of third-generation cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate replaced by amoxicillin alone. To assess antibiotic strategies, here we measured the antibiotic susceptibility of Pnc and Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) isolated from nasopharyngeal flora in infants with acute otitis media in the 13-valent PCV (PCV13) era in France.

METHODS

From November 2006 to June 2013, 77 pediatricians obtained nasopharyngeal swabs from infants (6 to 24 months old) with acute otitis media. The swabs were sent for analysis to the national reference centre for pneumococci in France. Demographics, medical history, and physical examination findings were recorded.

RESULTS

We examined data for 7200 children, 3498 in the pre-PCV13 period (2006-2009) and 3702 in the post-PCV13 period (2010-2013). The Pnc carriage rate decreased from 57.9% to 54.2% between the 2 periods, and the proportion of pneumococcal strains with reduced susceptibility to penicillin or resistant to penicillin decreased from 47.1% to 39% (P < 0.0001). The Hi carriage rate increased from 48.2% to 52.4%, with the proportion of ß-lactamase-producing strains decreasing from 17.1% to 11.9% and the proportion of ß-lactamase-nonproducing, ampicillin-resistant strains remaining stable, from 7.7% to 8.2%. We did not identify any risk factor associated with carriage of ß-lactamase-producing Hi strains (such as daycare center attendance, otitis-prone condition or recent antibiotic use).

CONCLUSION

In France, the nasopharyngeal carriage rate of reduced-susceptibility pneumococcal strains and ß-lactamase-producing Hi strains decreased in children with acute otitis media after 2010, the year the PCV13 was introduced. Accordingly, amoxicillin as the first-line drug for acute otitis media requiring antibiotics remains a valid choice.

The impact of the Italian guidelines on antibiotic prescription practices for acute otitis media in a paediatric emergency setting

Background

Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common childhood infectious diseases. The recent Italian Pediatric Guidelines for the treatment of AOM constitutes a step forward in the management of children with uncomplicated AOM. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibiotic prescription patterns for AOM in a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) after those guidelines were introduced and to assess the relationship between implementation of the “watchful waiting” strategy and the incidence of acute mastoiditis in the PED.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted between 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2013 at the PED of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Modena (Italy). All children between 0 and 14 years who were examined because of symptoms and/or signs of AOM and acute mastoiditis were enrolled. Pearson’s chi-squared test was used to evaluate if introduction of the Italian Paediatric Guidelines was associated with a reduction in the antibiotic prescription pattern in children with AOM and/or with an increase in mastoiditis frequency.

Results

4,573 (89.4%) patients were included in our analysis, antibiotics were prescribed to 81% cases of the children diagnosed with AOM. The frequency of antibiotic prescribing continued to be stable after the Italian guidelines were introduced (82% versus 81%).

Forty children were admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of acute mastoiditis. Our study did not find any association between the number of cases of acute mastoiditis and the percentage of patients treated with antibiotics; the annual incidence of mastoiditis before and after the new guidelines were published was, in fact, stable.

Conclusions

Despite the diffusion of clinical guidelines recommending a “watchful waiting” approach for children with AOM, the antibiotic prescription rate continues to be high. It appears to be more difficult to impact the percentage of cases for which antibiotics are prescribed than the type of antibiotic that is utilized. In view of these findings, a close follow-up control by the primary care paediatrician or a scheduled follow-up appointment at the PED and incisive campaigns to promote parents’ awareness of proper antibiotic use appear to be warranted.