Prescribing For Respiratory Infections Research Articles

Exploring the significance of delayed antimicrobial prescribing

Journal of Prescribing PracticeVol. 3, No. 6 News AnalysisExploring the significance of delayed antimicrobial prescribingAysha MendesAysha MendesE-mail Address: [email protected]Freelance journalist specialising in health, psychology and nursingSearch for more papers by this authorAysha MendesPublished Online:14 Jun 2021https://doi.org/10.12968/jprp.2021.3.6.214AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Stuart B, Hounkpatin H, Becque T et al.. Delayed antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: individual patient data meta-analysis BMJ. 2021;373 :n808. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n808 Google ScholarOrganisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Stemming the superbug tide. 2018. https://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/Stemming-the-Superbug-Tide-Policy-Brief-2018.pdf (accessed 25 May 2021) Google ScholarNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Antimicrobial stewardship. 2016. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs121/chapter/quality-statement-2-back-up-delayed-prescribing (accessed 25 May 2021) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 June 2021Volume 3Issue 6ISSN (print): 2631-8385ISSN (online): 2631-8393 Metrics History Published online 14 June 2021 Published in print 2 June 2021 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infection: exploring drivers of cognitive effort and factors associated with inappropriate prescribing.

Antibiotics are over-prescribed for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). It is unclear how factors known to influence prescribing decisions operate 'in the moment': dual process theories, which propose two systems of thought ('automatic' and 'analytical'), may inform this. Investigate cognitive processes underlying antibiotic prescribing for URTI and the factors associated with inappropriate prescribing. We conducted a mixed methods study. Primary care physicians in Scotland (n = 158) made prescribing decisions for patient scenarios describing sore throat or otitis media delivered online. Decision difficulty and decision time were recorded. Decisions were categorized as appropriate or inappropriate based on clinical guidelines. Regression analyses explored relationships between scenario and physician characteristics and decision difficulty, time and appropriateness. A subgroup (n = 5) verbalized their thoughts (think aloud) whilst making decisions for a subset of scenarios. Interviews were analysed inductively. Illness duration of 4+ days was associated with greater difficulty. Inappropriate prescribing was associated with clinical factors suggesting viral cause and with patient preference against antibiotics. In interviews, physicians made appropriate decisions quickly for easier cases, with little deliberation, reflecting automatic-type processes. For more difficult cases, physicians deliberated over information in some instances, but not in others, with inappropriate prescribing occurring in both instances. Some interpretations of illness duration and unilateral ear examination findings (for otitis media) were associated with inappropriate prescribing. Both automatic and analytical processes may lead to inappropriate prescribing. Interventions to support appropriate prescribing may benefit from targeting interpretation of illness duration and otitis media ear exam findings and facilitating appropriate use of both modes of thinking.

Delayed antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: individual patient data meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo assess the overall effect of delayed antibiotic prescribing on average symptom severity for patients with respiratory tract infections in the community, and to identify any factors modifying this effect.DesignSystematic...

Antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infection in patients with suspected and proven COVID-19: results from an antibiotic point prevalence survey in Scottish hospitals.

BackgroundBacterial co-infection is infrequently observed with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 infection outside of critical care, however, antibiotics are commonly prescribed.ObjectivesTo examine factors associated with antibiotic prescribing for suspected respiratory tract infection (RTI) and evaluate the nature and dynamics of prescribing in hospitalized patients with suspected and proven COVID-19 infection.MethodsAn antibiotic point prevalence survey in hospitalized adult patients was conducted in designated COVID-19 clinical areas (including critical care) in 15 Scottish hospitals. Antibiotics prescribed for RTI and factors associated with prescribing were investigated.ResultsOf 820 surveyed patients, 272 (prevalence 33.3%) received antibiotics for suspected RTI on the survey day and 58.8% were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Antibiotics were empirical in 91.9% and amoxicillin (24.6%), doxycycline (20.5%) and co-amoxiclav (15%) were most frequently prescribed. Oral antibiotics were prescribed in 54.5% and duration was recorded in 76.7% on wards for a median of 5 days. IV to oral switch occurred after a median of 2 days. Prescribing for RTI was independently and positively associated with COPD/chronic lung disease, purulent/bloody sputum, abnormal chest X-ray, and CRP ≥ 100 mg/L. Probable and definite hospital-acquired COVID-19 and diabetes were associated with a lower odds of receiving an antibiotic for RTI.ConclusionsAntibiotic prescribing for suspected RTI was commonly observed and predominantly empirical in suspected or proven COVID-19. Initiatives to reinforce stewardship principles including clinical review, effective use of microbiological diagnostics and better understanding of the role of biomarkers are central to further limit unnecessary antibiotic therapy in COVID-19.

Patterns of antibiotic prescribing and appropriateness for respiratory tract infections in a teaching hospital in Jordan.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a public health concern that promotes antibiotic resistance globally. This study aimed to investigate the patterns of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in Jordan to encourage judicious antibiotic prescribing. The researchers conducted a retrospective secondary analysis of oral antibiotics prescribed in the family medicine clinics in a teaching university hospital in Jordan in 2017. Antibiotic prescribing rates and the types of antibiotics prescribed were analysed. Patients' age, gender, type of insurance, and the RTIs diagnosis were investigated as possible factors that could be associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for RTIs. Our findings revealed that 20133 prescriptions, (27.3%) of all the prescriptions issued in the family medicine clinics included an antibiotic. Penicillins accounted for 52.7% of all the antibiotics prescribed, followed by macrolides (21.6%) and cephalosporins (16.4%). The most common indication for prescribing the antibiotics was RTIs (51.1%). The majority of antibiotics prescribed for respiratory diagnosis were for upper RTIs (URTI) (61.5%), followed by otitis media (16.9%) and tonsillitis (15.4%). Only 28.8% of all the antibiotics prescribed were appropriate and indicated. Older patients were significantly more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic compared to the younger (P<.001). Also, hospital employees and university employees were significantly more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic compared to the Ministry of Health employees (P<.001). Antibiotics were inappropriately prescribed, and their prescribing rate was high in the outpatient setting in the family medicine clinics studied in Jordan. This calls for policy-level interventions to promote judicious antibiotic prescribing to minimise the avoidable burden of microbial resistance and unnecessary expenditure.

Addressing Antibiotic Overuse in the Outpatient Setting: Lessons From Behavioral Economics

Addressing Antibiotic Overuse in the Outpatient Setting: Lessons From Behavioral Economics

Point-of-Care C-Reactive Protein Testing to Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Tract Infections in Primary Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing (POCT) is increasingly being promoted to reduce diagnostic uncertainty and enhance antibiotic stewardship. In primary care, respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common reason for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, which is a major driver for antibiotic resistance. We systematically reviewed the available evidence on the impact of CRP-POCT on antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care. Thirteen moderate to high-quality studies comprising 9844 participants met our inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses showed that CRP-POCT significantly reduced immediate antibiotic prescribing at the index consultation compared with usual care (RR 0.79, 95%CI 0.70 to 0.90, p = 0.0003, I2 = 76%) but not during 28-day (n = 7) follow-up. The immediate effect was sustained at 12 months (n = 1). In children, CRP-POCT reduced antibiotic prescribing when CRP (cut-off) guidance was provided (n = 2). Meta-analyses showed significantly higher rates of re-consultation within 30 days (n = 8, 1 significant). Clinical recovery, resolution of symptoms, and hospital admissions were not significantly different between CRP-POCT and usual care. CRP-POCT can reduce immediate antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care (number needed to (NNT) for benefit = 8) at the expense of increased re-consultations (NNT for harm = 27). The increase in re-consultations and longer-term effects of CRP-POCT need further evaluation. Overall, the benefits of CRP-POCT outweigh the potential harms (NNTnet = 11).

Systematic Review on the Impact of Guidelines Adherence on Antibiotic Prescription in Respiratory Infections.

Overuse and inappropriate antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections (RTI) are one of the major contributors to the current antibiotic resistance problem. Guidelines provide support to prescribers for proper decision-making. Our purpose is to review the impact of prescribers’ exposure to guidelines in antibiotic prescription for RTIs. A systematic review was performed searching in the scientific databases MEDLINE PubMed and EMBASE for studies which exposed prescribers to guidelines for RTI and compared antibiotic prescription rates/quality before and after the implementation, with thirty-four articles included in the review. The selected studies consisted on a simple intervention in the form of guideline implementation while others involved multifaceted interventions, and varied in population, designs, and settings. Prescription rate was shown to be reduced in the majority of the studies, along with an improvement in appropriateness, defined mainly by the prescription of narrow-spectrum rather than broad-spectrum antibiotics. Intending to ascertain if this implementation could decrease prescription costs, 7 articles accessed it, of which 6 showed the intended reduction. Overall interventions to improve guidelines adherence can be effective in reducing antibiotic prescriptions and inappropriate antibiotic selection for RTIs, supporting the importance of implementing guidelines in order to decrease the high levels of antibiotic prescriptions, and consequently reduce antimicrobial resistance.

General practitioners' perceptions of delayed antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections: A phenomenographic study.

Antibiotic use is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. Although delayed antibiotic prescription is a recommended strategy to reduce antibiotic use, practices vary; it appears less commonly used in southern European countries where antibiotic consumption is highest. Despite these variations, few qualitative studies have explored general practitioners' perceptions of delayed antibiotic prescription. We therefore aimed to explore and describe the perceptions of delayed antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections among general practitioners in Malta. This qualitative phenomenographic study was conducted in Malta. A semi-structured interview guide was developed in English, pilot tested and revised accordingly. Interview topics included views on antibiotic resistance, antibiotic use and delayed antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections, and barriers and facilitators to antibiotic prescription. Individual, face-to-face interviews were held in 2014 with a quota sample of 20 general practitioners and transcribed verbatim. Data were subsequently analysed using a phenomenographic approach. General practitioners perceived delayed antibiotic prescription in five qualitatively different ways: (A) "The Service Provider"-maintaining a good general practitioner-patient relationship to retain patients and avoid doctor-shopping, (B) "The Uncertainty Avoider"-reaching a compromise and providing treatment just in case, (C) "The Comforter"-providing the patient comfort and reassurance, (D) "The Conscientious Practitioner"-empowering and educating patients, and limiting antibiotic use, and (E) "The Holder of Professional Power"-retaining general practitioner responsibility by employing a wait-and-see approach. Although general practitioners were largely positive towards delayed antibiotic prescription, not all supported the strategy; some preferred a wait-and-see approach with follow-up. Many delayed antibiotic prescription users selectively practiced delayed prescription with patients they trusted or who they believed had a certain level of knowledge and understanding. They also preferred a patient-led approach with a one to three day delay; post-dating delayed antibiotic prescriptions was uncommon. In this study we have shown that general practitioners hold varying perceptions about delayed antibiotic prescription and that there is variation in the way delayed antibiotic prescription is employed in Malta. Whilst delayed antibiotic prescription is utilised in Malta, not all general practitioners support the strategy, and motivations and practices differ. In high consumption settings, formal and standardised implementation of delayed antibiotic prescription could help curb antibiotic overuse. Diagnosis-specific delayed antibiotic prescription recommendations should also be incorporated into guidelines. Finally, further investigation into patients' and pharmacists' views on delayed antibiotic prescription is required. NCT03218930.

An investigation of the effects of procalcitonin testing on antimicrobial prescribing in respiratory tract infections in an Irish university hospital setting: a feasibility study.

Diagnostic uncertainty and a high prevalence of viral infections present unique challenges for antimicrobial prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Procalcitonin (PCT) has been shown to support prescribing decisions and reduce antimicrobial use safely in patients with RTIs, but recent study results have been variable. We conducted a feasibility study of the introduction of PCT testing in patients admitted to hospital with a lower RTI to determine if PCT testing is an effective and worthwhile intervention to introduce to support the existing antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programme and safely decrease antimicrobial prescribing in patients admitted with RTIs. A total of 79 patients were randomized to the intervention PCT-guided treatment group and 40 patients to the standard care respiratory control group. The addition of PCT testing led to a significant decrease in duration of antimicrobial prescriptions (mean 6.8 versus 8.9 days, P = 0.012) and decreased length of hospital stay (median 7 versus 8 days, P = 0.009) between the PCT and respiratory control group. PCT did not demonstrate a significant reduction in antimicrobial consumption when measured as DDDs and days of therapy. PCT testing had a positive effect on antimicrobial prescribing during this feasibility study. The successful implementation of PCT testing in a randomized controlled trial requires an ongoing comprehensive education programme, greater integration into the AMS programme and delivery of PCT results in a timely manner. This feasibility study has shown that a larger randomized controlled trial would be beneficial to further explore the positive aspects of these findings.

Patient expectation trends on receiving antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Despite a variety of programs developed to control inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral infections, antibiotics are still prescribed excessively for Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI). The patient's expectation to receive an antibiotic often influences the clinician's decision and can lead to inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Our objective was to investigate the changes in patient expectations over time when presenting with symptoms of a respiratory infection. We performed a systematic review of patient's expectation to receive antibiotics for RTIs. Two reviewers independently evaluated the collected studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Our search initially identified 12070 studies, of which 321 studies were eligible for full text review and 37 articles were selected for final evaluation. Meta-regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between patient expectations and different years. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Q statistic. Patient expectations (effect size) were pooled using a random effects model. The effect-equality test showed heterogeneity among studies (Q=3304.23, df=40, P<0.0001, k=40, τ2 =0.63). Meta-regression results revealed that there is a significant linear negative relationship (B=-1.8374, P<0.05) between patient expectation and year of data collection, at the global level. A similar finding is observed for the subset of studies conducted outside United States (U.S.) (B=-1.2411, P<0.1). However, there is no discernible trend for patient expectation in the U.S. or among children and adult subgroups. Also, no significant differences are observed between the patient expectations when considering different age groups. The trend of patient expectation for receiving antibiotics for RTIs is declining over time on a global level and also outside the U.S.

Antibiotic prescription for febrile children in European emergency departments: a cross-sectional, observational study

Prevalence of serious bacterial infections in children in countries in western Europe and the USA is low. Antibiotic stewardship aims at a more rational use of antibiotics but information on the frequency of antibiotic prescription to children in emergency departments is scarce. We aimed to quantify and explain variability in antibiotic prescription in children attending European paediatric emergency departments. We did a cross-sectional, observational study of children aged between 1 month and 16 years who presented with fever to one of 28 European emergency departments on one random sampling day per month between Nov 1, 2014, and Feb 28, 2016. The surveyed sites were spread across 11 countries and included 17 academic hospitals with 3000 to up to 80 000 annual visits to their paediatric emergency departments. We determined the proportion of children without comorbidities who received antibiotic prescriptions by country, focus of infection, and type of antibiotic. We then did a detailed analysis of the same population, using a multilevel logistic regression analysis, into the variability in prescriptions across hospitals, focusing particularly on respiratory tract infections and correcting for a combination of result-dependent factors. Random group assignment was done by computer randomisation. Of 5177 children in total, 617 children had comorbidities. Of the 4560 children without comorbidities, 1454 (32%) received antibiotics. This percentage varied from 19% to 64% across countries. Of these 1454 prescriptions issued, 893 (61%) were second-line antibiotics. Antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections, the most common infection type, in children without comorbidities was most variable across countries (15-67% for upper respiratory tract infections and 24-87% for lower respiratory tract infections) and was associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1·51, 95% CI 1·08-2·13), fever duration (OR 1·45, 1·01-2·07), blood concentrations of C-reactive protein (OR 2·31, 1·67-3·19), and chest x-ray results (OR 10·62, 5·65-19·94, for focal abnormalities; OR 3·49, 1·59-7·64, for diffuse abnormalities). After correcting for patient characteristics, diagnostic assessment, and hospital characteristics, antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections remained highly variable across emergency departments (standardised antibiotic prescription ratio 0·49-2·04). Antibiotic prescription in European emergency departments is highly variable, with frequent use of second-line antibiotics. To ensure successful antibiotic stewardship initiatives in Europe aimed at reducing unnecessary prescription of antibiotics, variability of prescription across hospitals should be considered, drivers of suboptimal antibiotic prescription at the local level need to be identified, and European guidelines need to be devised. None.

Effectiveness and safety of electronically delivered prescribing feedback and decision support on antibiotic use for respiratory illness in primary care: REDUCE cluster randomised trial

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety at population scale of electronically delivered prescribing feedback and decision support interventions at reducing antibiotic prescribing for self limiting respiratory tract infections.DesignOpen label, two...

Delayed antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections: protocol of an individual patient data meta-analysis

IntroductionDelayed prescribing can be a useful strategy to reduce antibiotic prescribing, but it is not clear for whom delayed prescribing might be effective. This protocol outlines an individual patient data...

Electronic intervention in GP practices reduces antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections

Electronic intervention in GP practices reduces antibiotic prescribing for respiratory infections

Association Between Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Tract Infections and Patient Satisfaction in Direct-to-Consumer Telemedicine

This study assesses the association between antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections and satisfaction ratings among patients using a direct-to-consumer telemedicine platform.

Cost-effectiveness of internet-based training for primary care clinicians on antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in Europe.

Overprescribing of antibiotics by general practitioners (GPs) is seen as a major driver of antibiotic resistance. Training in communication skills and C-reactive protein (CRP) testing both appear effective in reducing such prescribing. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness (compared with usual care) of: (i) training GPs in the use of CRP testing; (ii) training GPs in communication skills; and (iii) training GPs in both CRP testing and communication skills. Economic analyses [cost-utility analysis (CUA) accounting for the cost of antibiotic resistance and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA)] were both conducted from a healthcare perspective with a time horizon of 28 days alongside a multinational, cluster, randomized, factorial controlled trial in patients with respiratory tract infections in five European countries. The primary outcome measures were QALYs and percentage reduction in antibiotic prescribing. Hierarchical modelling was used to estimate an incremental cost per QALY gained and an incremental cost per percentage reduction in antibiotic prescribing. Overall, the results of both the CUA and CEA showed that training in communication skills is the most cost-effective option. However, excluding the cost of antibiotic resistance in the CUA resulted in usual care being the most cost-effective option. Country-specific results from the CUA showed that training in communication skills was cost-effective in Belgium, UK and Netherlands whilst training in CRP was cost-effective in Poland. Internet-based training in communication skills is a cost-effective intervention to reduce antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in primary care if the cost of antibiotic resistance is accounted for.

Effect of Patient and Provider Education on Antibiotic Overuse for Respiratory Tract Infections.

Antibiotic overuse for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in primary care (PC) is a known important contributor to the serious health threat of antibiotic resistance, yet remains a difficult problem to improve. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of a combination patient and provider education program on antibiotic prescribing in RTIs in a rural primary care clinic. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, a retrospective electronic medical record review was conducted to determine if a patient and provider education program changed the rates of antibiotics being prescribed (immediate or delayed) during a visit for RTI for 207 randomly selected patients during the established evaluation time periods. The antibiotic prescription rate for the preintervention group was 56.3% compared to 28.8% for the postintervention group (p < .01). Immediate antibiotics were ordered in the preintervention group 31.1% of the time compared to 13.5% for the postintervention group (p < .05). The results of this study demonstrate that educational interventions can be effective in rural settings and that changes in antibiotic prescribing are possible.

Long-term effect of a practice-based intervention (HAPPY AUDIT) aimed at reducing antibiotic prescribing in patients with respiratory tract infections.

Few studies have evaluated the long-term effects of educational interventions on antibiotic prescription and the results are controversial. This study was aimed at assessing the effect of a multifaceted practice-based intervention carried out 6 years earlier on current antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The 210 general practitioners (GPs) who completed the first two registrations in 2008 and 2009 were invited to participate in a third registration. The intervention held before the second registration consisted of discussion about the first registration of results, appropriate use of antibiotics for RTIs, patient brochures, a workshop and the provision of rapid tests. As in the previous registrations, GPs were instructed to complete a template for all the patients with RTIs during 15 working days in 2015. A new group of GPs from the same areas was also invited to participate and acted as controls. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed considering the prescription of antibiotics as the dependent variable. A total of 121 GPs included in the 2009 intervention (57.6%) and 117 control GPs registered 22 247 RTIs. On adjustment for covariables, compared with the antibiotic prescription observed just after the intervention, GPs assigned to intervention prescribed slightly more antibiotics 6 years later albeit without statistically significant differences (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.89-1.31, P = 0.46), while GPs in the control group prescribed significantly more antibiotics (OR 2.74, 95% CI 2.09-3.59, P < 0.001). This study shows that a single multifaceted intervention continues to reduce antibiotic prescribing 6 years later.

Geographic Variation in Antibiotic Consumption-Is It Due to Doctors' Prescribing or Patients' Consulting?

Antibiotic consumption varies greatly between Norwegian municipalities. We examine whether this variation is associated with inhabitants’ consultation rates or general practitioners’ (GP) prescription rates. Our study comprises consultations and antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in general practice in all Norwegian municipalities with over 5000 inhabitants in 2014. Data was collected from The Norwegian Prescription Database, The Directorate of Health’s system for control and payment of health reimbursements registry and Norway Statistics. Consultation rates and prescription rates were categorised in age- and gender specific quintiles and the effect on antibiotic consumption was analysed using a Poisson regression model. We found that inhabitants with RTIs received 42% more prescriptions if they belonged to a municipality with high consultation rates compared to low consultation rates [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.42 (95% CI 1.41–1.44)] and 48% more prescriptions if they belonged to a municipality with high prescription rates versus low prescription rates [IRR 1.48 (95% KI 1.47–1.50)]. Our results demonstrate that inhabitants’ consultation rates and GPs’ prescription rates have about equal impact on the number of RTI antibiotics prescribed at municipality level. These findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting patients as well as doctors in efforts to reduce unnecessary antibiotic consumption.