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Consumption of antibiotics by children in Greece: a cross-sectional study
Helena C Maltezou1, Xanthi Dedoukou1, Hara Asimaki2
1Department for Interventions in Health-Care Facilities, Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece.
Insights
Antibiotic use in Greek children is common, primarily prescribed by pediatricians for infections like ear infections and sore throats. Further medical education can enhance appropriate antibiotic prescribing practices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Greece exhibits high antibiotic consumption rates within Europe.
- Childhood antibiotic use is a significant public health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the patterns and characteristics of community antibiotic consumption among children in Greece.
- To identify factors associated with antibiotic use in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based study was conducted with parents of hospitalized children.
- Data collected included antibiotic exposure, reasons for use, and prescribed medications.
Main Results:
- 45% of 549 children received antibiotics in the past year, predominantly prescribed by pediatricians (91.8%).
- Common indications included acute otitis media (AOM), pharyngotonsillitis, and bronchitis.
- Amoxicillin-clavulanate and amoxicillin were frequently prescribed for various infections.
Conclusions:
- Pediatrician prescribing is the primary driver of antibiotic consumption in children in Greece.
- Continuing medical education for pediatricians is recommended to optimize antibiotic prescribing.
Background:
Greece is among the European countries with the highest consumption of antibiotics.
Objectives:
To study the rates and characteristics of consumption of antibiotics in the community by children in Greece.
Methods:
Questionnaire-based study of parents of hospitalized children.
Results:
A total of 549 children were studied; 247 (45%) received at least one course of antibiotics the previous year (mean number of antibiotic courses the past year: 1.9), including 427 (91.8%) following examination by a pediatrician, 6 (1.3%) following phone consultation, 2 (0.4%) following suggestion by a pharmacist and 2 (0.4%) as self-medication. Prevalent reasons for antibiotic consumption were acute otitis media (AOM) (27.3%), pharyngotonsillitiss (25.4%), and bronchitis (17.8%). Amoxicillin-clavulanate was the prevalent antibiotic for pharyngotonsillitis, urinary tract infection (UTI) and skin infection (30.5%, 35.7% and 36.4% of cases, respectively), amoxicillin for AOM and pneumonia (32.3% and 36.4% of cases, respectively), and clarithromycin for bronchitis (27.7%). We found 84.3%, 81.9%, 64.3%, 63.7%, and 50% of parents reporting treatment consisted with the national guidelines for AOM, pneumonia, UTI, skin infection, and pharyngotonsillitis, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, an age of 1-5 years and asthma were significantly associated with a higher probability for antibiotic consumption.
Conclusions:
Antibiotic consumption of children in Greece is mainly driven by pediatricians. Continuing medical education is expected to further improve antibiotic prescription practices by pediatricians.
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