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Antibiotic Use in Children - A Cross-National Analysis of 6 Countries

Ilan Youngster1, Jerry Avorn2, Valeria Belleudi3

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|December 26, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric antibiotic use varied significantly across six countries, with South Korea showing the highest rates. These findings highlight the need for strategies to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial prescriptions in children.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern.
  • Appropriate antibiotic use in children is crucial for effective treatment and minimizing resistance.
  • Understanding international variations in pediatric antibiotic prescribing is essential for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify and compare rates of pediatric antibiotic use across diverse countries.
  • To identify significant differences in antimicrobial consumption among children globally.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-national analysis of 7 pediatric cohorts from 2008-2012.
  • Inclusion of data from 6 countries: Germany, Italy, South Korea, Norway, Spain, and the US.
  • Calculation of antimicrobial prescription rates per person-year by age group.

Main Results:

  • Substantial international variations in pediatric antimicrobial use were observed, with differences up to 7.5-fold.
  • South Korea exhibited the highest infant antimicrobial consumption (3.41 courses/child-year), while Norway had the lowest (0.5 courses/child-year).
  • Prescription patterns varied, with Norway predominantly using first-line penicillins (64.8%) compared to South Korea (9.8%).

Conclusions:

  • Significant disparities in pediatric antibiotic prescribing exist among industrialized nations.
  • The findings underscore the necessity for developing targeted strategies to curb unnecessary antimicrobial use in children.
  • International collaboration is vital for promoting rational antibiotic stewardship in pediatric populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
antibioticschildrencross-national analysis

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