Cost and Potential Avoidability of Antibiotic-Associated Adverse Drug Reactions in Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Pharmacovigilance
• Health Economics

Background:

• Antibiotics are crucial for treating childhood infections but can cause adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
• Understanding the burden of antibiotic ADRs in pediatric emergency care is essential for patient safety and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the incidence and associated costs of pediatric antibiotic adverse drug reactions presenting to emergency departments.
• To identify the proportion of these reactions that were potentially avoidable.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pediatric patient visits for antibiotic ADRs.
• Data collected from emergency department and urgent care clinic encounters over a one-year period.
• Cost analysis of identified patient visits.

Main Results:

• Identified 375 pediatric visits for antibiotic ADRs over one year.
• Total cost associated with these visits was $170,893.20.
• Approximately 17% of identified ADRs were deemed likely avoidable.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric antibiotic adverse drug reactions represent a significant burden on emergency care services.
• A notable percentage of these reactions are preventable, emphasizing the importance of judicious antibiotic prescribing.
• Consideration of potential antibiotic-related harms at the point of care is recommended.