JAC Advance Access published online on July 15, 2003
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkg302
© 2003 by The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Original article
1 Agenzia Sanitaria Regionale Emilia Romagna, Area Rischio
Infettivo, Viale Aldo Moro 21, 40127 Bologna, Italy
* Corresponding author. E-mail: dresi{at}asr.regione.emilia-romagna.it.
Received 20 December 2002
; revised 17 April 2003
; accepted 25 April 2003
Objectives: The aim of this study
was to evaluate antibiotic prescription for children in Emilia Romagna,
a Northern Italian region with 414 880 people aged 1-14
years. Methods: The regional Prescription Database
of drugs reimbursed by the Italian National Health Service was
used in this study. Antibiotic use was estimated as the proportion
of children who received at least one prescription during the year
2000 (number of children treated per 100 inhabitants per year).
To evaluate the frequency of exposure for each child, all the prescriptions
given within a period shorter than 12 days were considered as a
single treatment. Results: In the year surveyed, 511 270
antibiotic prescriptions in 219 257 children were identified.
In all, 52.9% of children received at least one antibiotic;
this percentage decreased with age, ranging from 70.4% in children
1-2 years old to 35.8% in children >11
years old. Fifty-two per cent of inhabitants under the age of
15 years were treated with systemic antibiotics at least once
in the year. Cephalosporins were mostly prescribed in the youngest
children, while macrolides were most frequently used in children
over 6 years old. In all 3.9% of children were treated
with topical antibiotics. Conclusions: This study has shown that paediatric
antibiotic prescription rates can be derived from analysis of regional
drug and resident databases. High antibiotic usage is shown in the
paediatric population of Emilia Romagna, similar to that observed
in other regions of Northern Italy. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are predominantly
prescribed. Comparison with prescription rates from other countries' paediatric
populations suggests there is extensive antibiotic overuse in Italy.
This could be associated with selection for and dissemination of
antibiotic resistance. Interventions are needed to reduce consumption.
Keywords: pharmacoepidemiology, paediatrician's
prescriptions, drug utilization
Antibiotic prescriptions in children
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