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Published on: November 4, 2010

Misuse of antimicrobials in children with asthma and bronchiolitis: a review

M Henderson1, E Rubin

  • 1Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario, Canada.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|February 27, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Inappropriate antibiotic use was common in hospitalized children with asthma or bronchiolitis. Half of the pediatric patients studied received antibiotics when they were not medically indicated.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Asthma and bronchiolitis are common pediatric respiratory infections.
  • Antibiotic overuse contributes to antimicrobial resistance.
  • Guidelines exist for appropriate antibiotic use in pediatric respiratory illnesses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in hospitalized children diagnosed with asthma or bronchiolitis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 200 children hospitalized with asthma or bronchiolitis.
  • Analysis of antibiotic prescriptions based on clinical indications and diagnostic criteria.

Main Results:

  • 100 out of 200 (50%) children received antibiotics.
  • Antibiotics were deemed inappropriate in 100 cases based on established guidelines.
  • No bacterial coinfection was documented in the majority of cases receiving antibiotics.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of pediatric patients hospitalized for asthma or bronchiolitis receive unnecessary antibiotics.
  • This highlights a need for improved adherence to antibiotic stewardship guidelines in pediatric respiratory care.

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