Decreasing the Use of Cefdinir for Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections in a Rural Health Care System: A...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Clinical intervention research

Background:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in children.
• Cefdinir is frequently prescribed for pediatric UTIs, but alternatives may be more appropriate.
• Optimizing antibiotic selection is crucial for effective treatment and resistance management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate an intervention bundle aimed at reducing the use of cefdinir.
• To increase the utilization of cephalexin as a preferred alternative for pediatric UTIs.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on prescribing patterns.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a targeted intervention bundle.
• Monitoring of antimicrobial prescribing data for pediatric UTIs before and after the intervention.
• Analysis of changes in the relative and absolute use of cefdinir and cephalexin.

Main Results:

• The intervention bundle led to a 19.1% absolute decrease in cefdinir use.
• This represents a 73% relative reduction in cefdinir prescribing.
• Concurrently, cephalexin use increased by 19.8%.

Conclusions:

• An intervention bundle can effectively shift prescribing patterns away from cefdinir towards cephalexin for pediatric UTIs.
• This approach supports antimicrobial stewardship goals by promoting the use of potentially better-suited agents.
• The findings suggest a feasible strategy for optimizing antibiotic therapy in pediatric UTIs.