Treatmnent Patterns for Pediatric Acute CHUs Media: A Gap in Evidence-Based Theory and Clinical Practice

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Unnecessary antibiotic prescribing poses significant risks, including increased healthcare costs, adverse side effects, and the development of antibiotic resistance.
• Children are disproportionately affected by unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, particularly for acute otitis media, the most frequent reason for antibiotic use in this age group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics' treatment guidelines for acute otitis media in children.
• To compare the diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media in pediatric clinics and emergency departments against established evidence-based guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, descriptive chart review was conducted.
• The study analyzed 100 patient encounters of children aged six months to 12 years diagnosed with acute otitis media.
• Prescribing patterns were compared against the American Academy of Pediatrics' treatment guidelines.

Main Results:

• None of the 100 children reviewed met the guideline criteria for antibiotic treatment.
• Despite not meeting criteria, 92% (92 out of 100) of the children were prescribed antibiotics for acute otitis media.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap between evidence-based guidelines and clinical practice in the antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media in children.
• Over-prescription of antibiotics for pediatric acute otitis media is prevalent, highlighting a critical need for improved adherence to guidelines to combat antibiotic resistance.