Broad-spectrum antibiotics are not better in children with acute respiratory tract infections

According to the new study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), for children with acute respiratory tract infections, the broad-spectrum antibiotics are not associated with better clinical or patient-centered outcomes compared with narrow-spectrum antibiotics, and the narrower-targeting drugs are associated with higher rates of adverse events. Acute respiratory infections such as ear infections, sinus infections, and streptococcal pharyngitis (sore throat) account for most bacterial respiratory infections in children and are the primary drivers of pediatric antibiotic prescribing.

Recent studies have also shown that broad-spectrum antibiotics are increasingly being prescribed for these conditions and account for nearly half of all antibiotics prescribed for children.

Unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics among both children and adults is one of the forces driving antimicrobial resistance.

Read more: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2017/12/study-kids-respiratory-infections-broader-isnt-better

Access the complete article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2666503?redirect=true