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Increasing Antiviral Usage in a UK Children's Hospital: A Call for Antiviral Stewardship
Orlagh McGarrity1, Sarah Prentice2,3, Duncan Shepherd4
1From the Department of Pharmacy.
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|January 7, 2026
Insights
Antiviral use and costs significantly increased in hospitalized children, mainly due to anti-cytomegalovirus drugs. Pediatric stewardship programs should monitor antiviral prescribing, especially for high-risk children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Limited data exist on antiviral consumption trends in pediatric hospital settings.
- Understanding changes in antiviral prescribing is crucial for effective antimicrobial stewardship.
- The period 2019-2024 encompasses significant global health events influencing healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in antiviral medication usage and associated costs in hospitalized children.
- To identify key drug classes driving changes in antiviral consumption.
- To inform pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs regarding antiviral prescribing practices.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of electronic prescribing records from a large UK children's hospital.
- Data collection spanned from 2019 to 2024.
- Quantification of antiviral prescriptions and associated costs, with a focus on specific drug categories.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in overall antiviral usage and expenditure was observed between 2019 and 2024.
- Anti-cytomegalovirus medications were the primary drivers of this increased consumption.
- Specific trends in antiviral prescribing patterns were identified within the pediatric inpatient population.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship initiatives need to incorporate antiviral stewardship components.
- Enhanced monitoring of antiviral use is recommended, particularly in centers managing children vulnerable to severe viral infections.
- The findings highlight the need for updated guidelines on antiviral prescribing in pediatric care.
Abstract:
Antiviral consumption data in hospitalized children are limited. We utilized electronic prescribing records to interrogate changes to antiviral use between 2019 and 2024 in a large UK children's hospital. Antiviral usage/cost increased significantly, driven predominantly by anti-cytomegalovirus medications. Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs should include antiviral usage and be prioritized in centers caring for children at risk of severe viral infections.
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