Narrow- and Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Use among U.S. Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Health services research

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, necessitating careful monitoring of antibiotic use.
• Understanding patterns of antibiotic prescribing in children is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Previous studies have indicated variations in antibiotic use, but updated estimates are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide current estimates of narrow- and broad-spectrum antibiotic consumption among children in the United States.
• To examine the association between individual, family, and community factors and antibiotic use for respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Main Methods:

• Utilized linked, nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2004-2010) and the 2000 Decennial Census.
• Employed multinomial choice models to analyze relationships between characteristics and antibiotic use.
• Investigated antibiotic use overall and specifically for the treatment of RTIs.

Main Results:

• Annually, 27.3% of children used at least one antibiotic, with 12.8% using broad-spectrum and 18.5% using narrow-spectrum agents.
• Over two-thirds (68.6%) of antibiotic use in children was for treating RTIs.
• Significant differences in antibiotic use were observed across various demographic and socioeconomic groups, including age, health status, insurance, parental income/education, race-ethnicity, and Census region.

Conclusions:

• Despite some reports of declining antibiotic use, substantial disparities persist among U.S. children.
• Factors related to need, resources, race-ethnicity, and geographic region are strongly associated with differential antibiotic prescribing.
• Further efforts are required to promote judicious and appropriate antibiotic prescribing for pediatric populations.