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Antibiotic usage, dosage and course length in children between 0 and 4 years

Josta de Jong1, Paul B van den Berg, Sipke T Visser

  • 1Department of Pharmacoepidemology and Pharmacoeconomics, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. josta.de.jong@rug.nl

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|April 29, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic use is highest in 9- to 12-month-old children. While doses and course lengths were appropriate, antibiotic selection often deviated from guidelines, with some prescriptions being unlicensed or off-label.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Infectious Disease Management
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Antibiotic drugs are frequently prescribed for children aged 0-4 years.
  • Understanding antibiotic utilization patterns in this age group is crucial for optimizing treatment and combating antimicrobial resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the use, dosage, and course length of antibiotic drugs in children aged 0-4 years in the Netherlands.
  • To identify trends in antibiotic prescribing practices within this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study utilizing pharmacy drug-dispensing data from 2002-2006.
  • Analysis included all systemic antibiotic prescriptions for children aged 0-4 years, excluding those under 3 months.

Main Results:

  • Children aged 9-12 months received the highest proportion of antibiotics.
  • Amoxicillin was the most common antibiotic, particularly in younger children (3-6 months), while broad-spectrum antibiotics increased with age.
  • Approximately 97.6% of prescriptions were within the recommended dosage, and most course lengths adhered to guidelines, but 3.9% were unlicensed or off-label.

Conclusions:

  • Antibiotic consumption peaks in infants aged 9-12 months.
  • Prescribing practices regarding antibiotic choice were not consistently aligned with guidelines, leading to the use of unlicensed or off-label medications in young children.
  • While dosing and duration were generally appropriate, the selection of antibiotics warrants further attention to ensure adherence to established guidelines.
Abstract

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