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Hosaka Y, Muraki Y, Kajihara T, Kawakami S, Hirabayashi A, Shimojima M, Ohge H, Sugai M, Yahara K. Antimicrobial use and combination of resistance phenotypes in bacteraemic Escherichia coli in primary care: a study based on Japanese national data in 2018. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024; 79:312-319. [PMID: 38084874 PMCID: PMC10832589 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkad379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial use (AMU) in primary care is a contributing factor to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. We assessed the potential effects of AMU on the prevalence of a combination of resistance phenotypes in bacteraemic Escherichia coli in outpatient care settings between primary care facilities ('clinics') and hospitals. METHODS Population-weighted total AMU calculated from the national database was expressed as DDDs per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID). National data for all routine microbiological test results were exported from the databases of a major commercial clinical laboratory, including 16 484 clinics, and the Japan Nosocomial Infections Surveillance, including 1947 hospitals. AMU and the prevalence of combinations of resistance phenotypes in bacteraemic E. coli isolates were compared between clinics and hospitals. RESULTS The five most common bacteria isolated from patients with bacteraemia were the same in clinics, outpatient settings and inpatient settings in hospitals, with E. coli as the most frequent. Oral third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones were the top two AMU outpatient drugs, except for macrolides, and resulted in at least three times higher AMU in clinics than in hospitals. The percentage of E. coli isolates resistant to both drugs in clinics (18.7%) was 5.6% higher than that in hospitals (13.1%) (P < 10-8). CONCLUSIONS Significant AMU, specifically of oral third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, in clinics is associated with a higher prevalence of E. coli isolates resistant to both drugs. This study provides a basis for national interventions to reduce inappropriate AMU in primary care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko Hosaka
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Muraki
- Department of Clinical Pharmacoepidemiology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshiki Kajihara
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayoko Kawakami
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aki Hirabayashi
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hiroki Ohge
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Sugai
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Yahara
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
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Barbieri E, di Chiara C, Costenaro P, Cantarutti A, Giaquinto C, Hsia Y, Doná D. Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns in Paediatric Primary Care in Italy: Findings from 2012-2018. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 11:antibiotics11010018. [PMID: 35052895 PMCID: PMC8773435 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive data are needed to monitor antibiotic prescribing and inform stewardship. We aimed to evaluate the current antibiotic prescribing patterns, including treatment switching and prolongation, in the paediatric primary care setting in Italy. This database study assessed antibiotic prescriptions retrieved from Pedianet, a paediatric primary care database, from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2018. Descriptive analyses were stratified by diagnosis class, calendar year, and children's age. Generalized linear Poisson regression was used to assess variation in the prescriptions. In total, 505,927 antibiotic prescriptions were included. From 2012 to 2018, the number of antibiotics per child decreased significantly by 4% yearly from 0.79 in 2012 to 0.62 in 2018. Amoxicillin prescriptions decreased with increasing children's age, while macrolides and third-generation cephalosporins had the opposite trend. Prescriptions were associated with a diagnosis of upper respiratory infection in 23% of cases, followed by pharyngitis (21%), bronchitis and bronchiolitis (12%), and acute otitis media (12%). Eight percent of treatment episodes were prolonged or switched class, mostly represented by co-amoxiclav, macrolides, and third-generation cephalosporins. Our findings report an overall decrease in antibiotic prescriptions, but pre-schoolers are still receiving more than one antibiotic yearly, and broad-spectrum antibiotics prescription rates remain the highest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Barbieri
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department for Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy; (C.d.C.); (P.C.); (C.G.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Costanza di Chiara
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department for Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy; (C.d.C.); (P.C.); (C.G.); (D.D.)
| | - Paola Costenaro
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department for Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy; (C.d.C.); (P.C.); (C.G.); (D.D.)
| | - Anna Cantarutti
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy;
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Società Servizi Telematici–Pedianet, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Carlo Giaquinto
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department for Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy; (C.d.C.); (P.C.); (C.G.); (D.D.)
- Società Servizi Telematici–Pedianet, 35121 Padua, Italy
| | - Yingfen Hsia
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK;
- Paediatric Infectious Disease Research Group, St. George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Daniele Doná
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department for Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy; (C.d.C.); (P.C.); (C.G.); (D.D.)
- Paediatric Infectious Disease Research Group, St. George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
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Rogers Van Katwyk S, Grimshaw JM, Nkangu M, Nagi R, Mendelson M, Taljaard M, Hoffman SJ. Government policy interventions to reduce human antimicrobial use: A systematic review and evidence map. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002819. [PMID: 31185011 PMCID: PMC6559631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing political attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) offers a rare opportunity for achieving meaningful action. Many governments have developed national AMR action plans, but most have not yet implemented policy interventions to reduce antimicrobial overuse. A systematic evidence map can support governments in making evidence-informed decisions about implementing programs to reduce AMR, by identifying, describing, and assessing the full range of evaluated government policy options to reduce antimicrobial use in humans. METHODS AND FINDINGS Seven databases were searched from inception to January 28, 2019, (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PAIS Index, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and PubMed). We identified studies that (1) clearly described a government policy intervention aimed at reducing human antimicrobial use, and (2) applied a quantitative design to measure the impact. We found 69 unique evaluations of government policy interventions carried out across 4 of the 6 WHO regions. These evaluations included randomized controlled trials (n = 4), non-randomized controlled trials (n = 3), controlled before-and-after designs (n = 7), interrupted time series designs (n = 25), uncontrolled before-and-after designs (n = 18), descriptive designs (n = 10), and cohort designs (n = 2). From these we identified 17 unique policy options for governments to reduce the human use of antimicrobials. Many studies evaluated public awareness campaigns (n = 17) and antimicrobial guidelines (n = 13); however, others offered different policy options such as professional regulation, restricted reimbursement, pay for performance, and prescription requirements. Identifying these policies can inform the development of future policies and evaluations in different contexts and health systems. Limitations of our study include the possible omission of unpublished initiatives, and that policies not evaluated with respect to antimicrobial use have not been captured in this review. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge this is the first study to provide policy makers with synthesized evidence on specific government policy interventions addressing AMR. In the future, governments should ensure that AMR policy interventions are evaluated using rigorous study designs and that study results are published. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42017067514.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Rogers Van Katwyk
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Global Strategy Lab, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy M. Grimshaw
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Miriam Nkangu
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ranjana Nagi
- Global Strategy Lab, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc Mendelson
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Monica Taljaard
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven J. Hoffman
- Global Strategy Lab, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, and McMaster Health Forum, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Global Health & Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Jensen US, Muller A, Brandt CT, Frimodt-Moller N, Hammerum AM, Monnet DL. Effect of generics on price and consumption of ciprofloxacin in primary healthcare: the relationship to increasing resistance. J Antimicrob Chemother 2010; 65:1286-91. [DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkq093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Lusini G, Lapi F, Sara B, Vannacci A, Mugelli A, Kragstrup J, Bjerrum L. Antibiotic prescribing in paediatric populations: a comparison between Viareggio, Italy and Funen, Denmark. Eur J Public Health 2009; 19:434-8. [PMID: 19349289 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckp040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High rates of antibiotic prescribing in paediatric populations represent a major issue because of the problem of antibiotic resistance. North European countries reported an appropriate use of antibiotics in general population; few studies on this issue have been conducted until now, especially in Italy. Therefore a comparison concerning paediatric antibiotic prescribing rates between an Italian administrative area in Tuscany (Viareggio) and the county of Funen (Denmark) was conducted. METHODS Reimbursement data from 2003 were gathered from the Tuscany Health Authority database and from the database containing pharmacy dispensing data from the Danish Medicines Agency. All data were converted to Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID). Data were broken down by age, identifying four age groups: 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19 years. RESULTS The overall prescription of antibiotics to paediatric patients from 0 to 19 years of age was higher in Viareggio (67 DDD/TID) than in Funen (35 DDD/TID). In Viareggio amoxicillin and amoxicillin plus enzyme inhibitors ranked in the first two places as the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in the whole population. Cephalosporins were also heavily used in Viareggio with cefaclor being the third most frequently prescribed antibiotic, especially in the 0-4 and 5- to 9-year-old age groups. In Funen, phenoxymethylpenicillin was the most commonly used antibiotic in all age groups, representing almost one-third of prescriptions, followed by amoxicillin. CONCLUSIONS The paediatric antibiotic prescription rate is substantially higher in Viareggio compared with Funen. These data confirm possible overuse and misuse of antibiotics in the Italian paediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Lusini
- Hospital Pharmacy, ASL 9 Hospital, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
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Gemmill MC, Thomson S, Mossialos E. What impact do prescription drug charges have on efficiency and equity? Evidence from high-income countries. Int J Equity Health 2008; 7:12. [PMID: 18454849 PMCID: PMC2412871 DOI: 10.1186/1475-9276-7-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2006] [Accepted: 05/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
As pharmaceutical expenditure continues to rise, third-party payers in most high-income countries have increasingly shifted the burden of payment for prescription drugs to patients. A large body of literature has examined the relationship between prescription charges and outcomes such as expenditure, use, and health, but few reviews explicitly link cost sharing for prescription drugs to efficiency and equity. This article reviews 173 studies from 15 high-income countries and discusses their implications for important issues sometimes ignored in the literature; in particular, the extent to which prescription charges contain health care costs and enhance efficiency without lowering equity of access to care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marin C Gemmill
- LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK
| | - Sarah Thomson
- LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK
| | - Elias Mossialos
- LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK
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Sketris IS, Metge C, Shevchuk Y, Comeau DG, Kephart GC, Blackburn J, MacCara M, Laturnas A. Comparison of anti-infective drug use in elderly persons in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan, Canada: relationship to drug insurance reimbursement policies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 2:24-35. [PMID: 15555476 DOI: 10.1016/s1543-5946(04)90004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2003] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial drug resistance continues to be a concern. Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents is a well-documented contributory factor in the development of resistance. Canadian publicly funded drug insurance (pharmacare) programs have various approaches to reimbursement for antimicrobial drugs and promoting the appropriate prescribing of these agents. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine changes in antimicrobial use over a 3-year period in relation to the reimbursement policies of the public drug insurance programs for elderly persons in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan. METHODS The pharmacare databases of the 3 provincial drug insurance programs were accessed for fiscal years 1995/96, 1996/97, and 1997/98. Antimicrobial drug use was reported as mean age- and sex-standardized defined daily doses (DDDs) dispensed per 1000 beneficiaries per year. Provincial antimicrobial drug use was compared and related to provincial reimbursement policies. RESULTS The rates and types of antimicrobial drugs dispensed to elderly beneficiaries of the Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan pharmacare programs varied. Between fiscal years 1995/96 and 1997/98, DDDs of antimicrobials per 1000 beneficiaries per year decreased by 11.5% in Saskatchewan and increased by 1.2% in Manitoba and 6.2% in Nova Scotia. Rates of use of broadspectrum agents such as amoxicillin/clavulanate, azithromycin, clarithromycin, and fluoroquinolones were lower in the provinces that had reimbursement guidelines. Even when reimbursement policies were similar, as for fluoroquinolones in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, rates of use varied markedly, possibly as a result of the method of implementing the reimbursement guidelines. Use of fluoroquinolones, macrolides, penicillins, beta-lactamase-resistant penicillins, and tetracyclines was lower and use of sulfonamides and trimethoprim was greater in Saskatchewan than in Nova Scotia and Manitoba. CONCLUSIONS The reimbursement guidelines of provincial drug insurance programs are among the factors affecting the use of antimicrobial agents. Both the type of reimbursement policy and the policy implementation mechanism affected the rate of utilization. Further research is needed to link drug-use information with data such as antimicrobial resistance patterns, diagnoses, physician visits, and hospitalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid S Sketris
- College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Shah M, Mohanraj M. High levels of fusidic acid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in dermatology patients. Br J Dermatol 2003; 148:1018-20. [PMID: 12786835 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05291.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibiotic resistance is a significant problem both in hospitals and the community. Topical antibiotics are widely used for dermatological problems and this may be leading to the emergence of resistant bacteria. OBJECTIVE To assess the level of fusidic acid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus inpatients with dermatological problems. METHODS All microbiology samples over a 4-month period were tested for antibiotic sensitivities. Patients with cultures positive for S. aureus were studied. RESULTS The study shows 50% of S. aureus isolates from dermatology patients were resistant to fusidic acid. This figure rose to 78% inpatients with atopic eczema. Of patients with fusidic acid-resistant S. aureus isolates, 96% had used a fusidic acid-containing preparation within the previous 6 months. The level of fusidic acid resistance in S. aureus samples cultured from nondermatology patients was only 9.6%, a level significantly below that for dermatology patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS High levels of fusidic acid-resistant S. aureus are found in dermatology patients. Inappropriate use of topical antibiotics in dermatology patients leading to fusidic acid resistance may threaten the efficacy of systemic fusidic acid for the treatment of serious S. aureus infections. Education of health professionals and restriction of the use of fusidic acid is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shah
- Department of Dermatology, Dewsbury & District Hospital, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF13 4HS, UK.
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Thrane N, Olesen C, Md JT, Søndergaard C, Schønheyder HC, Sørensen HT. Influence of day care attendance on the use of systemic antibiotics in 0- to 2-year-old children. Pediatrics 2001; 107:E76. [PMID: 11331726 DOI: 10.1542/peds.107.5.e76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the association between time spent in different public day care settings and prescription of systemic antibiotics. Design. Population-based cohort study of 5035 Danish children born in 1997 followed from birth to June 30, 1999. METHODS The study was performed by the linkage of records drawn from administrative registries. Exposure was the total time spent in a day care home or day care center. Outcome was the first prescription of a systemic antibiotic. Possible perinatal and sociodemographic confounding factors were considered by statistical analysis. RESULTS During the first year of life, 39.8% of the girls and 51.1% of the boys received at least 1 antibiotic prescription drug. Enrollment in a day care setting doubled a child's risk of receiving a prescription drug (adjusted relative risk in day care home 1.9, 95% confidence interval: 1.7-2.0; adjusted relative risk in day care center 2.0, 95% confidence interval: 1.7-2.3). Only age confounded the analyses. Age >1 year at the starting time in day care reduced the risk of receiving antibiotic prescriptions during the first 3 months after enrollment. CONCLUSIONS Enrollment in public day care facilities raised the risk of receiving an antibiotic prescription drug to the same extent in day care homes as well as in day care centers, so we cannot recommend one facility over the other based on the present study. Children <1 year old at enrollment were most at risk, suggesting that extension of parental leave may reduce the use of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Thrane
- Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
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Thrane N, Olesen C, Schonheyder HC, Sorensen HT. Multiple prescriptions of antibiotics for children aged 0 to 5 years in relation to type of antibiotic. J Antimicrob Chemother 1999; 44:839-42. [PMID: 10590289 DOI: 10.1093/jac/44.6.839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The risk of receiving more than one prescription within an antibiotic course was examined for all children aged 0 to 5 years in a Danish county during 1997. We identified 29,307 prescriptions of systemic antibiotics for 16,245 children in a prescription database. Ten per cent of the prescriptions were followed by a new prescription within 10 days. In children who received two prescriptions (n = 3993), 19% redeemed the prescriptions within the same course. When the child was prescribed penicillin V, compared with broad-spectrum penicillin, the odds ratio of receiving a repeat prescription within 1-2 days was 2.9 (95% CI 2.5-3.4) and within 3-10 days 1.3 (95% CI 1.2-1.5).
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Affiliation(s)
- N Thrane
- The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Monnet DL, Sørensen TL. Interpreting the effectiveness of a national antibiotic policy and comparing antimicrobial use between countries. J Hosp Infect 1999; 43:239-42. [PMID: 10582191 DOI: 10.1053/jhin.1999.0626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Thrane N, Steffensen FH, Mortensen JT, Schønheyder HC, Sørensen HT. A population-based study of antibiotic prescriptions for Danish children. Pediatr Infect Dis J 1999; 18:333-7. [PMID: 10223685 DOI: 10.1097/00006454-199904000-00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to examine the use of systemic and topical antibiotics in relation to age and sex in Danish children. METHODS We used the Pharmacoepidemiological Prescription Database to identify the individual prescriptions of antibiotics provided for all 0-to 15-year-old children in North Jutland County, Denmark, during 1997. The population was approximately 95000 children. RESULTS We identified 44640 prescriptions for systemic antibiotics. The annual prescription rate was highest in the 1- to 2-year-olds, with 945 prescriptions/1000 children/year. One-half of these children received at least 1 prescription, and 12% received 3 or more prescriptions. Among the 11- to 15-year-old children 17% received one or more prescriptions. Overall 88% of the prescriptions were penicillins and 10% were macrolides. In children younger than 3 years 57% of prescriptions were for broad spectrum penicillins, but in children older than 6 years penicillin V was the most frequently used antibiotic. We identified 12 661 prescriptions for topical antibiotics used in eye infections. The prescription rate peaked in the 1- to 2-year-old children, one-third of whom received at least 1 prescription. CONCLUSIONS Almost two-thirds of the 0- to 2-year-old children in the population were treated with either systemic or topical antibiotics during 1 year. Physicians prescribe mostly penicillins, but the proportion of broad spectrum penicillins for young children was so high, however, that enforcement of national guidelines should be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Thrane
- The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Aarhus.
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Huovinen P, Cars O. Control of antimicrobial resistance: time for action. The essentials of control are already well known. BMJ (CLINICAL RESEARCH ED.) 1998; 317:613-4. [PMID: 9727984 PMCID: PMC1113829 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.317.7159.613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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