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Reducing antibiotic use in children: a randomized trial in 12 practices.
J A Finkelstein1, R L Davis, S F Dowell
1Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. jonathan_finkelstein@hphc.org
Pediatrics
|July 4, 2001
Summary
An educational intervention for families and physicians reduced antibiotic prescribing in young children. This approach, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, successfully lowered antimicrobial drug use in primary care settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious disease
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Public health interventions
Background:
- Antibiotic overuse in children is a significant public health concern.
- Judicious antibiotic prescribing is crucial to combat antimicrobial resistance.
- Educational interventions can influence prescribing practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an educational outreach intervention for families and physicians.
- To determine if the intervention reduces antibiotic prescribing for children under 6 years old.
- To align prescribing with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) principles.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial in 12 primary care practices.
- Intervention included physician peer leader meetings and parent educational materials.
- Antibiotic dispensing rates were analyzed using pharmacy claims data.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic dispensing decreased in both intervention and control groups.
- The intervention group showed a greater reduction: 16% in younger children and 12% in older children.
- Reductions were observed for common childhood infections like otitis media.
Conclusions:
- A targeted educational intervention effectively reduced antibiotic prescribing in young children.
- The intervention demonstrated success despite existing trends toward decreased prescribing.
- Future efforts should leverage public awareness to promote judicious antibiotic use.