scholarly journals Parent and Clinician Views of Managing Children with Symptoms of a Lower Respiratory Tract Infection and Their Influence upon Decisions to Take Part in a Placebo-Controlled Randomised Control Trial

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 356
Author(s):  
Catherine J. Woods ◽  
Zoe Morrice ◽  
Nick A. Francis ◽  
Paul Little ◽  
Theo Verheij ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Parent Attitudes ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Interview Studies ◽  
Safety Netting

Children presenting with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) commonly receive antibiotics despite public campaigns on antibiotic resistance. Qualitative interview studies were nested in a placebo-controlled trial of amoxicillin for LRTI in children. Thirty semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with sixteen parents and fourteen clinicians to explore views of management and decisions to participate in the trial. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Parents found it difficult to interpret symptoms and signs, and commonly used the type of cough (based on sound) to judge severity, highlighting the importance of better information to support parents. Provision of a clinical examination and reassurance regarding illness severity were key motivations for consulting. Many parents now acknowledge that antibiotics should only be used when ‘necessary’, and clinicians reported noticing a shift in parent attitudes with less demand for antibiotics and greater satisfaction with clinical assessment, reassurance and advice. Decisions to take part in the trial were influenced by the perceived risks associated with allocation to a placebo, and concerns about unnecessary use of antibiotics. Clear communication about self-management and safety-netting were identified as important when implementing ‘no antibiotic’ prescribing strategies to reassure parents and to support prescribing decisions.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Stewardship in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Using Procalcitonin

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. s31-s32
Author(s):  
Amanda Gusovsky ◽  
David Burgess ◽  
Donna Burgess ◽  
Emily Slade ◽  
Chris Delcher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Tract Infections

Background: A team of infectious diseases physicians, infectious diseases pharmacists, clinical laboratorians, and researchers collaborated to assess the management of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). In 1 sample from our institution, 96.1% of pneumonia cases were prescribed antibiotics, compared to 85.0% in a comparison group. A collaborative effort led to the development of a protocol for procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic prescribing that was approved by several hospital committees, including the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and the Healthcare Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee in December 2020. The aim of this analysis was to develop baseline information on PCT ordering and antibiotic prescribing patterns in LRTIs. Methods: We evaluated all adult inpatients (March–September 2019 and 2020) with a primary diagnosis of LRTI who received at least 1 antibiotic. Two cohorts were established to observe any potential differences in the 2 most recent years prior to adoption of the PCT protocol. Data (eg, demographics, specific diagnosis, length of stay, antimicrobial therapy and duration, PCT labs, etc) were obtained from the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and the study was approved by the local IRB. The primary outcome of interest was antibiotic duration; secondary outcomes of interest were PCT orders, discharge antibiotic prescription, and inpatient length of stay. Results: In total, 432 patients (277 in 2019 and 155 in 2020) were included in this analysis. The average patient age was 61.2 years (SD, ±13.7); 47.7% were female; and 86.1% were white. Most patients were primarily diagnosed with pneumonia (58.8%), followed by COPD with complication (40.5%). In-hospital mortality was 3.5%. The minority of patients had any orders for PCT (29.2%); among them, most had only 1 PCT level measured (84.1%). The median length of hospital stay was 4 days (IQR, 2–6), and the median duration of antibiotic therapy was 4 days (IQR, 3–6). Conclusions: The utilization of PCT in LRTIs occurs in the minority of patient cases at our institution and mostly as a single measurement. The development and implementation of a PCT-guided therapy could help optimize antibiotic usage in patients with LRTIs.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

scholarly journals Hospitalization for Acute Respiratory Tract Infection in a Low-Antibiotic-Prescribing Setting: Cross-Sectional Data from General Practice

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 653
Author(s):  
Christin Löffler ◽  
Attila Altiner ◽  
Annette Diener ◽  
Reinhard Berner ◽  
Gregor Feldmeier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Acute Respiratory Tract Infection ◽  
P Value ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tract Infections

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) are the main cause of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. To date, there is limited evidence concerning whether low levels of antibiotic prescribing may impact patient safety. We investigate whether antibiotic prescribing for patients seeking primary care for ARTI correlates with the odds for hospitalization. Methods: Analysis of patient baseline data (n = 3669) within a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Adult patients suffering from ARTI in German primary care are included. The main outcome measure is acute hospitalization for respiratory infection and for any acute disease from 0 to 42 days after initial consultation. Results: Neither the antibiotic status of individual patients (OR 0.91; 95% CI: 0.49 to 1.69; p-value = 0.769) nor the physician-specific antibiotic prescription rates for ARTI (OR 1.22; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.49; p-value = 0.054) had a significant effect on hospitalization. The following factors increased the odds for hospitalization: patient’s age, the ARTI being defined as lower respiratory tract infections (such as bronchitis) by the physician, the physician’s perception of disease severity, and being cared for within group practices (versus treated in single-handed practices). Conclusions: In a low-antibiotic-prescribing primary care setting such as Germany, lack of treatment with antibiotics for ARTI did not result in higher odds for hospitalization in an adult population.

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