Antibiotic prescription pattern for viral respiratory illness in emergency room and ambulatory care settings.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the current practice pattern of antibiotic prescription rate in viral respiratory tract infection diagnosed children among different specialty health care providers.

METHODS

The study was a retrospective case review study where a random sample of 1200 child care visits coded as viral respiratory infections in primary care provider's office, convenient care clinic, or emergency room in 2006 were analyzed.

RESULTS

Overall, the antibiotic prescription rate was 30%. The prescription rate was 3.7 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.90-7.31) higher for bronchitis patients and 2.5 times (95% CI = 1.46-4.30) higher for viral pharyngitis patients than for common cold patients. Antibiotics were written more by emergency physicians (odds ratio [OR] = 11.04; 95% CI = 5.78-21.10) and family practitioners (OR = 5.22; 95% CI = 2.99-9.10) than by pediatricians.

CONCLUSION

Although not recommended, children seen in the emergency room and family practitioner's office are more likely to receive antibiotic prescriptions than those seen in the pediatrician's office.