Prescriptions of antibiotics for children with upper respiratory infections in outpatient department

Abstract

The prescription of antibiotics for children with upper respiratory infections (URIs) in outpatient department of our hospital from November to December 2010 and from July to August 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. In 37 211 patient visits (prescriptions) with suppurative tonsillitis, laryngitis and other URIs, the antibiotic prescription rates were 90.45%(3 626/4 009), 78.77%(2 642/3 354) and 52.25%(15 596/29 848), respectively; the intravenous antibiotics rates were 78.22%(3 136/4 009), 60.58%(2 032/3 354) and 16.47%(4 915/29 848), respectively for above three conditions. For suppurative tonsillitis, the 3rd generation cephalosporins were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics (orally: 51.07%, 715/1 400) and (intravenously: 54.88%, 1 721/3 136), followed by the 2nd and first generation cephalosporins and macrolides. For laryngitis and other URIs, the 2nd generation cephalosporins were most frequently prescribed (orally: 48.78%, 538/1 103 and 39.16%, 4 433/11 320, respectively) and (intravenously: 54.38%, 1 105/2 032 and 42.75%, 2 101/4 915, respectively), followed by macrolides, 3rd generation cephalosporins and first generation cephalosporins. No intravenous penicillin were prescribed. Oral penicillin were prescribed for 0-0.22% of these children. The results indicate that antibiotics prescription rates are high for children with upper respiratory infections, particularly the prescription of broad spectrum antibiotics and intravenous antibiotics, while penicillin is seldom prescribed. Key words: Respiratory tract infections; Anti-bacterial agents; Child