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

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

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.

Postoperative results of ventilation tube insertion: a retrospective multicenter study for suggestion of grading system of otitis media with effusion

Background

In otitis media with effusion (OME), it is important to know when to surgically intervene and when careful monitoring is more appropriate. This study aimed to visualize and classify the clinical manifestations of OME and the correlation between the new grading system and postoperative results after ventilation tube insertion (VTI).

Methods

We classified the collective 1,012 ears from 506 patients into six groups: grade 0 (no effusion), grade I (scant effusion, but abnormal), grade II (effusion less than half of the tympanic cavity), grade III (effusion over half of the tympanic cavity, with air bubbles), grade IV (complete effusion), and grade V (retracted tympanic membrane or hemotympanum without air bubbles).

Results

The mean age at VTI was 5.2 (±2.9) years and mean duration between diagnosis and operation was 4.1 (±1.8) months. Between the grades, the nature of the middle ear effusion was also significantly different (p < 0.001). The duration of ventilation tube retention after VTI was significantly different when compared between two groups: grade I-IV and grade V (p = 0.019). Our results showed that the recurrence rate, as well as rate of revision VTI, increased as the grade increased (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The new grading system of OME using endoscopic otoscope evaluation had a significant correlation with the age at VTI, the nature of middle ear effusion, the recurrence rate of OME, and the rate of revision VTI.

Association of in utero antibiotic exposure on childhood ear infection trajectories: Results from a national birth cohort study

AIM

Most prescribed medicines during pregnancy are antibiotics, with unknown effects on a fetus and on the infant's acquired microbiome. This study investigates associations between in utero antibiotic exposure and ear infection trajectories over the first decade of life, hypothesising effects on early or persistent, rather than later-developing, ear infections.

METHODS

Design and participants: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children birth cohort recruited a nationally-representative sample of 5107 infants in 2004.

MEASURES

Mothers reported antibiotic use in pregnancy when a child was 3-21 months old (wave 1), and ongoing problems with ear infection every 2 years spanning ages 0-1 to 10-11 years (waves 1-6).

ANALYSIS

Latent class models identified ear infection trajectories, and univariable and multivariable multinomial logistic regression determined odds of adverse trajectories by antibiotic exposure.

RESULTS

A total of 4500 (88.1% of original sample) children contributed (mean baseline age 0.7 years; 51.3% boys); 10.4% of mothers reported antibiotic use in pregnancy. Four probability trajectories for ear infection emerged: 'consistently low' (86.2%), 'moderate to low' (5.6%), 'low to moderate' (6.7%) and 'consistently high' (1.4%). Antibiotic use in pregnancy was associated with children following 'consistently high' (adjusted odds ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval 1.08-3.88, P = 0.03) and 'moderate to low' (adjusted odds ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.25-2.53, P = 0.001) trajectories.

CONCLUSIONS

Antibiotic use in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of persistent and early childhood ear infections. This highlights the wisdom of cautious antibiotic use during pregnancy, and the need for the study of potential mechanisms underlying these associations.