Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2025

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses
11:17

Multiplex Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Isotope-dilution HPLC-MS/MS of Antibiotics in Critical Illnesses

Published on: August 30, 2018

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Implementation of a Multifaceted Program to Improve the Rational Use of Antibiotics in Children under 3 Years of Age

Santiago Alfayate-Miguélez1, Gema Martín-Ayala2, Casimiro Jiménez-Guillén2,3

  • 1Research Group of Murciano Institute of Biosanitary Research, IMIB, E-30120 Murcia, Spain.

Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

A Spanish program successfully reduced antibiotic use in young children with respiratory infections by 48%. However, the effectiveness varied across different health areas, indicating a need for tailored approaches to antibiotic stewardship.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern, necessitating strategies to optimize antibiotic use.
  • Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are common in children under 3 years, often leading to antibiotic prescriptions.
  • Variability in antibiotic prescribing practices exists within healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted, participatory program designed to reduce antibiotic consumption in young children (under 3 years) with URTIs.
  • To assess antibiotic prescribing prevalence and consumption rates before and after program implementation.

Main Methods:

  • A qualitative and quantitative approach was employed in the Region of Murcia, Spain.
  • Antibiotic consumption was measured using defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DHD).
  • Data collected pre-intervention (2015) and post-intervention (2019) were compared.

Main Results:

  • Pre-intervention antibiotic prescription prevalence was 45.7% with a DHD of 19.05.
  • After one year of the program, antibiotic consumption decreased to 10.25 DHD, a 48% reduction from 2015.
  • Significant variability in the magnitude of reduction was observed across different health areas.

Conclusions:

  • The intervention program effectively reduced antibiotic use in children under 3 with common URTIs.
  • Inconsistent reductions across health areas highlight the need for localized strategies in antibiotic stewardship.
  • Further research is needed to understand and address the variability in program effectiveness.

Keywords:
antibioticsearly childhoodmultifaceted programprimary careupper respiratory tract infection

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