Antibiotic Prescribing in Children Hospitalized With COVID-19 and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Spain:...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Epidemiology of viral and bacterial infections

Background:

• The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to increased antibiotic consumption globally.
• Understanding antibiotic prescribing in pediatric populations during the pandemic is crucial for antimicrobial stewardship.
• Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with SARS-CoV-2 is a serious condition that may involve bacterial co-infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze antibiotic prescribing prevalence, trends, and associated factors in children hospitalized with COVID-19 or MIS-C in Spain.
• To investigate the incidence and types of concomitant bacterial infections in this pediatric cohort.
• To provide data to inform antimicrobial stewardship strategies during viral pandemics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pediatric hospital admissions in Spain.
• Data collection on antibiotic prescriptions, diagnoses (COVID-19, MIS-C), and bacterial co-infections.
• Statistical analysis to identify factors associated with antibiotic use and trends over time.

Main Results:

• Significant antibiotic prescribing prevalence was observed in hospitalized children with COVID-19 and MIS-C.
• Factors such as disease severity and diagnostic uncertainty were associated with increased antibiotic use.
• A notable proportion of patients received broad-spectrum antibiotics, with varying rates of confirmed bacterial infections.

Conclusions:

• Antibiotic use in hospitalized children with SARS-CoV-2 related conditions in Spain was high.
• Antimicrobial stewardship interventions are needed to optimize antibiotic prescribing in this population.
• Further research on the impact of pandemic-related antibiotic use on pediatric antimicrobial resistance is warranted.