Original article
Identifying priorities to improve paediatric in-hospital antimicrobial use by cross-sectional evaluation of prevalence and appropriateness of prescriptionDetección de prioridades para mejorar el uso hospitalario de antimicrobianos en pediatría mediante la evaluación transversal de la prevalencia y adecuación de la prescripción

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Abstract

Introduction

Information about paediatric in-hospital antimicrobial usage and prescribing patterns to guide improvement strategies is scant. We aim to use an evaluation of the prevalence and appropriateness of antimicrobial prescription to identify antimicrobial stewardship priorities in children.

Methods

A cross-sectional point study was performed on hospitalised paediatric patients in a Spanish tertiary hospital, assessing the prevalence of antimicrobial prescription (PAP) and appropriateness of antimicrobial prescription (AAP). AAP was defined as a correct indication plus an appropriate prescribing pattern (dose, spectrum and interval). Evaluation was performed using established antimicrobial guidelines. Other factors that may have a bearing on antimicrobial prescription were also analysed.

Results

A total of 171 patients were included. PAP was 49.7% (85/171) and AAP was 60.9% (91/161). The most common indications for antimicrobial use were antimicrobial prophylaxis (28.3%, 32/113) and pneumonia (8.2%, 8/113). Overall, 161 antimicrobials were prescribed (1.9 antimicrobials per patient): 55.3% (89/161) were empiric, 16.1% (26/161) were targeted and 28.6% (46/161) were prophylactic. Amoxicillin/clavulanate (8.2%, 14/171) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (8.2%, 14/171) were the most prescribed antimicrobials. The prescription of antifungals (11.7%, 20/171) and antivirals (1.8%, 3/171) was analysed. Major causes of inappropriate antibiotic use were prolonged prescriptions (21.7%, 35/161) and use of agents with an excessively broad coverage spectrum (21.1%, 34/161). PAP and AAP varied between wards and antimicrobials.

Conclusions

Measurement of PAP and AAP offers valuable information for detecting priorities in hospital settings and monitoring antimicrobial usage prior to the development of antimicrobial stewardship programmes. In our setting, the main areas for improvement are duration of therapy and proper use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials.

Resumen

Introducción

La información sobre el uso hospitalario de antimicrobianos en pediatría para orientar estrategias de mejora es escasa. Proponemos utilizar la evaluación de prevalencia y adecuación de la prescripción antimicrobiana para identificar prioridades en programas de optimización de uso de antimicrobianos en niños.

Métodos

Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal en niños hospitalizados en un centro terciario español evaluando la prevalencia de prescripción antimicrobiana (PPA) y la proporción de adecuación en prescripción antimicrobiana (PAA). Se definió la PAA como una correcta indicación más un apropiado patrón de prescripción del antimicrobiano (dosis, espectro e intervalo) según guías establecidas. Se analizaron también otros factores con influencia potencial en prescripción.

Resultados

Se incluyeron 171 pacientes, obteniendo una PPA = 49,7% (85/171) y PAA = 60,9% (91/161). Profilaxis antimicrobiana (28,3%, 32/113) y neumonía (8,2%, 8/113) fueron las indicaciones más frecuentes. Se realizaron 161 prescripciones antimicrobianas (1,9 antimicrobianos por paciente): 55,3% (89/161) empíricas; 16,1% (26/161) dirigidas y 28,6% (46/161) profilácticas. Amoxicilina/ácido clavulánico (8,2%, 14/171) y trimetoprim/sulfametoxazol (8,2%, 14/171) fueron los antimicrobianos más prescritos. Se analizó la prescripción antifúngica (11,7%, 20/171) y antiviral (1,8%, 3/171). Las principales causas de uso inapropiado de antibióticos fueron el uso prolongado (21,7%, 35/161) y espectros de cobertura demasiado amplios (21,1%, 34/161). La PPA y PAA variaron según área de hospitalización y antimicrobianos.

Conclusiones

La PPA y PAA ofrecen información valiosa para detectar prioridades en hospitales previamente al desarrollo de programas de optimización de uso de antimicrobianos y monitorizar el uso de antimicrobianos. En nuestro centro la duración del tratamiento y el espectro antimicrobiano excesivo fueron las principales áreas a mejorar.

Introduction

Inappropriate use of antimicrobials is linked to increasing antibiotic resistance due to important ecological effects.1, 2 It represents a major public health problem worldwide generating increasing morbidity, mortality and hospitalisation rates in recent years.1, 2, 3, 4 Resources invested in development of new antimicrobials will decrease, so proper use of those available must be a priority.5, 6, 7 Antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programmes that have been successfully implemented in adults have also been developed for paediatric populations.3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Although the key principles for paediatric AS have been recently defined, paediatric patients have particular characteristics that hinder establishment of such programmes, as well as assessment of their impact.3

Benchmarking studies of antimicrobial use are fundamental to implement these programmes identifying opportunities for improvement,12 with corresponding impact interventions.1, 13 In this study, we aim to describe the prevalence of antimicrobial prescribing in a tertiary paediatric hospital and assess the appropriateness of antimicrobial use.

Section snippets

Setting

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study performed in a Spanish tertiary paediatric hospital with 256 hospitalisation beds distributed among different hospital areas: neonatology and neonatal intensive care unit (ICU), paediatric ICU, various medical and surgical wards, children with complex chronic conditions unit, departments responsible for five different types of solid organ transplantation and a haematology–oncology department that performs haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Ethics

The

Results

Total bed occupancy was 171 patients with a mean (±SD) age 4.3 ± 5.2 years. Overall, 85 patients (49.7%; 95% CI: 42.3–57.1) were receiving one or more antimicrobials, with PAP and AAP by ward summarised in Table 1. Reasons for admission were medical urgency for 58 patients (68.2%), scheduled medical admission for 12 (14.1%), scheduled surgical admissions for 11 (12.9%), and surgical emergency in 4 (4.7%) cases.

Globally, 113 infectious syndromes justifying treatment with antimicrobials were

Discussion

An extensive understanding of antimicrobial usage in paediatric settings is necessary prior to the development of AS. The intention of this study was to improve such understanding, in view of the limited existence of antimicrobial hospital-quality indicators of antibiotic prescription studies in children, mostly focused on the prevalence of prescription16, 17, 18, 19 and few assessing appropriateness of prescription.20, 21 Evaluating antimicrobial consumption by ward, our total PAP surpasses

Funding

No specific funding was received for this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Keith Veitch for the English language editing in the manuscript.

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