November 08, 2011
New data released in Pediatrics this week describes the prevalence of antibiotic prescribing in pediatric ambulatory care visits. Antibiotics are prescribed in just over 20% of such visits, with a majority of these prescriptions for respiratory conditions. Broad-spectrum antibiotic use is prevalent, accounting for 50% of all prescriptions.
How much of this use is inappropriate is difficult to pinpoint, but the researchers suggest that over ten million visits each year result in antibiotic prescriptions when they are not clearly indicated. Looking at data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) between 2006 and 2008, they further conclude that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics was highest among respiratory conditions for which antibiotics are not typically indicated (e.g. viral conditions, asthma). Unfortunately, this indiscriminate use means that some of our most valuable drugs “broad-spectrum” drugs that work against a range of bacterial organisms are potentially the most susceptible to antibiotic resistance.
The authors go on to point out correlations between antibiotic prescribing trends and demographic patterns. Prescriptions for broad-spectrum antibiotics are associated with holding private insurance and with living in certain areas of the U.S. South.
The study comes just as the CDC is preparing for its annual Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work week to raise awareness about antibiotic resistance and to provide tools for providers and patients to reduce antibiotic misuse. The authors note that the broad picture of antibiotic use in the United States is actually improving prescriptions in ambulatory settings are going down. In part, they attribute this decline to the success of public awareness efforts through the CDC.
More on this study next week, and on how this data compares to antibiotic dispensing in the overall population, as Extending the Cure releases the antibiotic use module of ResistanceMap.
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