Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
[Multicenter study of children's compliance to antibiotic treatment in primary care]
C Silvestre Busto1, E Ramalle-Gómara, R Arnáez García
1Servicio Navarro de Salud-Osasunbidea, Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona. msilvesb@cfnavarra.es
Insights
Only 46.5% of children adhered to antibiotic prescriptions. Factors influencing adherence included school status, parental age, and number of daily doses. Pediatricians should consider these when prescribing antibiotics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious disease
- Pharmacology
- Public health
Context:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern.
- Adherence to antibiotic treatment in children is crucial for effective infection management and preventing resistance.
- Understanding adherence patterns in pediatric populations is essential for optimizing treatment outcomes.
Purpose:
- To assess the level of adherence to antibiotic prescriptions among children.
- To identify key factors associated with antibiotic adherence in pediatric patients.
- To provide insights for improving antibiotic prescribing practices in primary care.
Summary:
- A cross-sectional study surveyed parents of 2244 children (0-10 years) regarding antibiotic adherence.
- Adequate adherence was observed in 46.5% of cases.
- Factors positively associated with adherence included children's school status, parental age (over 40), and fewer daily doses.
Impact:
- Findings highlight suboptimal antibiotic adherence in children, necessitating targeted interventions.
- Identified factors can guide healthcare providers in tailoring antibiotic regimens for better compliance.
- Improved adherence can contribute to more effective treatment of pediatric infections and mitigate antibiotic resistance.
Objectives:
To evaluate the degree of children's adherence to prescription of antibiotics and to determine factors linked to this adherence.
Design:
Cross-sectional study, conducted through a telephone survey of parents of the children under study ten to fifteen days after the prescription of the antibiotic.
Setting:
Thirty primary care centres in 6 Spanish provinces.
Patients And Other Participants:
Parents or guardians of children from 0 to 10 who attended the primary care centres between October 1998 and January 1999 for treatment of an acute infection and who were prescribed an oral antibiotic treatment with two or more daily doses. Interventions. The measuring instrument was the Morisky-Green test.
Measurements And Main Results:
2244 cases were studied. 1043 of them complied adequately (46.5%; 95% CI, 44.4-48.5). The factors associated with adherence were children's school situation, the age of parents or carers and the number of daily doses.
Conclusions:
Only half the children complied correctly with the treatment indicated. Pre-school children, those with parents or carers over 40 and those with a prescription of under three daily doses followed the treatment better. These factors need to be borne in mind by paediatricians when they prescribe an antibiotic.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
01:30Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
01:11Bioavailability Study Design: Single Versus Multiple Dose Studies