Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and its determinants among outpatient children in 3 low- and middle-income countries: A multicentric community-based cohort study

by Antoine Ardillon, Lison Rambli ère, Elsa Kermorvant-Duchemin, Touch Sok, Andrianirina Zafitsara Zo, Jean-Baptiste Diouf, Pring Long, Siyin Lach, Fatoumata Diene Sarr, Laurence Borand, Felix Cheysson, Jean-Marc Collard, Perlinot Herindrainy, Agathe de Lauzanne, Muriel Vray, Elisabeth Delarocque-Astagneau, Didier Guillemot, Bich-T ram Huynh, On behalf of the BIRDY study group BackgroundAntibiotic resistance is a global public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where antibiotics required to treat resistant infections are not affordable. LMICs also bear a disproportionately high burden of bacterial diseases, particularly among children, and resistance jeopardizes progress made in these areas. Although outpatient antibiotic use is a major driver of antibiotic resistance, data on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in LMICs are scarce at the community level, where the majority of prescribing occurs. Here, we aimed to characterize inappropriate antibiotic prescribing among young outpatient children and to identify its determinants in 3 LMICs. Methods and findingsWe used data from a prospective, community-based mother-and-child cohort (BIRDY, 2012 to 2018) conducted across urban and rural sites in Madagascar, Senegal, and Cambodia. Children were included at birth and followed-up for 3 to 24 months. Data from all outpatient consultations and antibiotics prescriptions were recorded. We defined inappropriate prescriptions as antibiotics prescrib...
Source: PLoS Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Source Type: research