Reduced antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections in adults and children

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Microbiological Rapid On-Site Evaluation for Pulmonary Infectious Diseases
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Published on: March 1, 2024

Sharon B Meropol1, Zhen Chen, Joshua P Metlay

  • 1Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Penn Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. meropols@mail.med.upenn.edu

The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
|October 22, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in the UK has decreased significantly for both adults and children. This trend, observed in UK antibiotic use, did not lead to an increase in broad-spectrum antibacterial prescriptions.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Public health initiatives in the UK and US aim to reduce unnecessary antibiotic consumption.
  • While US prescribing for acute non-specific respiratory infections (ARIs) has declined, broad-spectrum antibacterial use has increased.
  • This study focuses on trends in the UK.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate recent trends in antibacterial prescribing for ARIs within the UK.
  • To analyze changes in both overall and broad-spectrum antibacterial prescriptions.
  • To compare UK trends with those observed in the US.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study design was employed.
  • Data were extracted from The Health Improvement Network database.
  • Outpatient ARI visits between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2004, were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Antibacterial prescribing rates for ARIs decreased substantially from 1990 to 2004 in both adults and children.
  • The probability of receiving an antibacterial prescription post-ARI visit also declined significantly for both age groups.
  • Broad-spectrum antibacterial prescribing rates decreased for adults and children, with a significant downward trend observed in children.

Conclusions:

  • UK antibacterial prescribing for ARIs has declined, mirroring some US trends.
  • Crucially, this decline was not accompanied by an increase in broad-spectrum antibacterial prescribing.
  • The success of UK strategies offers valuable insights for antimicrobial use programs globally.
Abstract

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