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Selective decrease in consultations and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in UK primary care up to 2006

Selective decrease in consultations and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in UK primary care up to 2006
Selective decrease in consultations and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in UK primary care up to 2006
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate trends in primary care consultations and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in the UK from 1997 to 2006.

METHODS: Data were analysed for 100,000 subjects registered with 78 family practices in the UK General Practice Research Database; the numbers of consultations for RTI and associated antibiotic prescriptions were enumerated.

RESULTS: The consultation rate for RTI declined in females from 442.2 per 1000 registered patients in 1997 to 330.9 in 2006, and in males from 318.5 to 249.0. The rate of consultations for colds, rhinitis and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) declined by 4.2 (95% CI 2.3-6.1) per 1000 per year in females and by 3.6 (2.3-4.8) in males. The rate of antibiotic prescribing for RTI was higher in females and declined by 8.5 (2.0-15.1) per 1000 in females and 6.7 (2.7-10.8) in males. For colds, rhinitis and URTI, the proportion of consultations with antibiotics was prescribed declined by 1.7% per year in females and 1.8% in males.

CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing frequency of consultation and antibiotic prescription for colds, rhinitis and 'URTI' continues to drive a reduction in the rate of antibiotic utilization for RTIs.
1741-3842
512-520
Gulliford, M.
514046d2-1f58-469b-870e-0ff527fb5648
Latinovic, R.
e992496a-90fb-4cdd-8a78-284974f9995c
Charlton, J.
0177b4df-4db7-4de8-b4bd-143b8e3ba169
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
van Staa, T.
7e263d59-ecc2-41f2-8b20-3f934d09c2c9
Ashworth, M.
a70c436c-8405-4518-806d-1003fd9d5386
Gulliford, M.
514046d2-1f58-469b-870e-0ff527fb5648
Latinovic, R.
e992496a-90fb-4cdd-8a78-284974f9995c
Charlton, J.
0177b4df-4db7-4de8-b4bd-143b8e3ba169
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
van Staa, T.
7e263d59-ecc2-41f2-8b20-3f934d09c2c9
Ashworth, M.
a70c436c-8405-4518-806d-1003fd9d5386

Gulliford, M., Latinovic, R., Charlton, J., Little, Paul, van Staa, T. and Ashworth, M. (2009) Selective decrease in consultations and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in UK primary care up to 2006. Journal of Public Health, 31 (4), 512-520. (doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdp081). (PMID:19734168)

Record type: Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate trends in primary care consultations and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in the UK from 1997 to 2006.

METHODS: Data were analysed for 100,000 subjects registered with 78 family practices in the UK General Practice Research Database; the numbers of consultations for RTI and associated antibiotic prescriptions were enumerated.

RESULTS: The consultation rate for RTI declined in females from 442.2 per 1000 registered patients in 1997 to 330.9 in 2006, and in males from 318.5 to 249.0. The rate of consultations for colds, rhinitis and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) declined by 4.2 (95% CI 2.3-6.1) per 1000 per year in females and by 3.6 (2.3-4.8) in males. The rate of antibiotic prescribing for RTI was higher in females and declined by 8.5 (2.0-15.1) per 1000 in females and 6.7 (2.7-10.8) in males. For colds, rhinitis and URTI, the proportion of consultations with antibiotics was prescribed declined by 1.7% per year in females and 1.8% in males.

CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing frequency of consultation and antibiotic prescription for colds, rhinitis and 'URTI' continues to drive a reduction in the rate of antibiotic utilization for RTIs.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 4 September 2009
Published date: December 2009
Organisations: Primary Care & Population Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 350030
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350030
ISSN: 1741-3842
PURE UUID: 543abc1e-ba44-409e-976f-4fcf4a31bdd2
ORCID for Paul Little: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3664-1873

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Date deposited: 15 Mar 2013 16:36
Last modified: 11 Jul 2024 01:35

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Contributors

Author: M. Gulliford
Author: R. Latinovic
Author: J. Charlton
Author: Paul Little ORCID iD
Author: T. van Staa
Author: M. Ashworth

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