Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
Published on: August 30, 2018
Interventions to reduce childhood antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory infections: systematic review and
Yanhong Hu1, John Walley2, Roger Chou3
1The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong, China.
Insights
Educational interventions effectively reduce antibiotic prescription rates for children's upper respiratory infections (URIs). Targeting both clinicians and parents, especially through communication strategies, yields the best results in lowering antibiotic use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Antibiotic overuse for pediatric upper respiratory infections (URIs) contributes to resistance and adverse events.
- This study evaluates interventions aimed at reducing antibiotic prescription rates (APR) in children with URIs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of interventions in reducing antibiotic prescribing for childhood URIs.
- To identify factors influencing the success of these interventions.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs was conducted.
- Searches included major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL) up to December 2015.
- Interventions targeting clinicians and/or parents were compared to usual care.
Main Results:
- Thirteen studies from high-income countries were included.
- Interventions significantly lowered APR (OR 0.63).
- Patient-clinician communication interventions were most effective (OR 0.41 for clinicians, OR 0.26 for parents).
Conclusions:
- Educational interventions effectively reduce antibiotic prescribing for pediatric URIs.
- Combined interventions for clinicians and parents are superior to single-target approaches.
- Future research should focus on low- and middle-income countries.
Background:
Antibiotics are overprescribed for children with upper respiratory infections (URIs), leading to unnecessary expenditures, adverse events and antibiotic resistance. This study assesses whether interventions antibiotic prescription rates (APR) for childhood URIs can be reduced and what factors impact intervention effectiveness.
Methods:
MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Global Health, WHO website, United States CDC website and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched by December 2015. Cluster or individual-patient randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs that examined interventions to change APR for children with URIs were selected for meta-analysis. Educational interventions for clinicians and/or parents were compared with usual care.
Results:
Of 6074 studies identified, 13 were included. All were conducted in high-income countries. Interventions were associated with lower APR versus usual care (OR 0.63 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.81, p<0.001). A patient-clinician communication approach was the most effective type of intervention, with a pooled OR 0.41 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.83; p<0.001) for clinicians and 0.26 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91; p=0.04) for parents. Interventions that targeted clinicians and parents were significant, with a pooled OR of 0.52 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.78; p=0.002). Insignificant effects were observed for targeting clinicians and parents alone, with a pooled OR of 0.88 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.16; p=0.37) and 0.50 (95% CI 0.10 to 2.51, p=0.40), respectively.
Conclusions:
Educational interventions are effective in reducing antibiotic prescribing for childhood URIs. Interventions targeting clinicians and parents are more effective than those for either group alone. The most effective interventions address patient-clinician communication. Studies in low-income to middle-income countries are needed.
More Related Videos
08:36Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Adjuvant Efficacy and Safety of Angong Niuhuang Pill in Viral Encephalitis Treatment
Published on: April 19, 2024
05:31Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017