Reducing antibiotic prescribing for lower respiratory tract infections 6 years after a multifaceted intervention

Few studies have evaluated the long-term impact of interventions on antibiotic prescription for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). This study was aimed at evaluating the use of antibiotics prescribed for LRTIs by general practitioners (GP) who underwent a multifaceted intervention carried out 6 years earlier.

General practitioners who had completed two registrations in 2008 and 2009 were again invited to participate in a third audit-based study in 2015. A multifaceted intervention was held 1-3 months before the second registration. A new group of GPs with no previous training on the rational use of antibiotics were also invited to participate and acted as controls. Multilevel logistic regression was performed considering the prescription of antibiotics as the dependent variable.

A total of 121 GPs of the 210 who underwent the intervention (57.6%) and 117 control GPs registered 4333 episodes of LRTIs. On adjustment for covariables, compared with the antibiotic prescription for LRTIs observed just after the intervention, antibiotic prescription slightly increased 6 years later among GPs who had undergone the intervention (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.95-1.43), while control GPs prescribed significantly more antibiotics (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.62-3.29). However, withholding antibiotic prescribing with C-reactive protein (CRP) values <10 mg/L was more frequently observed just after the intervention compared 6 years later (12.7% vs 32.2%; P < 0.01).

Antibiotic prescribing for LRTIs remains low 6 years after an intervention, although GPs are less confident to withhold antibiotic therapy in patients with low CRP levels.