Assessment of antibiotic prescription in acute respiratory infections in adults. The Spanish Study Group on Antibiotic Treatments.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to ascertain the variability in the use of antibiotics for the treatment of acute respiratoryinfections in several hospital emergency services in Spain, as well as the appropriateness of antibiotics prescription through evaluation by a panel of experts using available scientific evidence.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the emergency services of 10 hospitals in different Spanish regions. We chose patients diagnosed as having acute respiratory infection, aged over 14 years. Among the collected variables were: type of respiratory infection, antibiotic prescription, comorbidity, qualification of the prescribing doctor and hospital admission. The consensus conference held by a panel of experts established first choice treatment and the alternative and inappropriate use for each respiratory infection, based on the available scientific evidence. All the observed prescriptions in our study were classified according to this pattern.

RESULTS

A sample of 2899 acute respiratory infections was studied (5.5% of all emergencies). Antibacterial agent treatment was prescribed in 82.6% of these, varying according to the infection between 98.5% of pneumonias and 49% of croup-influenza-common cold. The most commonly used antibiotics were amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefuroxime. The global percentage of inappropriate prescription was 40.5% (95% CI; 35.4-45.5). The prescriptions were inappropriate in 16.9% of cases of pharyngotonsillitis, 17.8% of chronic bronchitis, 26.9% of acute bronchitis, 29.3% of pneumonias, 30.8% of otitis and sinusitis and in 70.8% of croup, flu, common cold and non-specified infections. Significant variability among participating centres was observed, both in choice of antibiotics and in their degree of appropriateness.

CONCLUSIONS

There is excessive use of antimicrobial drugs in acute respiratory infections, and the majority are used for viral infections. There is indiscriminate use of broad spectrum antibiotics, which are valid in some infections but clearly inappropriate in others. Similarly, there are important differences in the choice of antibiotics and their degree of appropriateness among hospitals.