Continued high rates of antibiotic prescribing to adults with respiratory tract infection: survey of 568 UK general practices
Continued high rates of antibiotic prescribing to adults with respiratory tract infection: survey of 568 UK general practices
OBJECTIVES:
Overutilisation of antibiotics may contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance, a growing international concern. This study aimed to analyse the performance of UK general practices with respect to antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) among young and middle-aged adults.
SETTING:
Data are reported for 568 UK general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
PARTICIPANTS:
Participants were adults aged 18-59?years. Consultations were identified for acute upper RTIs including colds, cough, otitis-media, rhino-sinusitis and sore throat.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:
For each consultation, we identified whether an antibiotic was prescribed. The proportion of RTI consultations with antibiotics prescribed was estimated.
RESULTS:
There were 568 general practices analysed. The median general practice prescribed antibiotics at 54% of RTI consultations. At the highest prescribing 10% of practices, antibiotics were prescribed at 69% of RTI consultations. At the lowest prescribing 10% of practices, antibiotics were prescribed at 39% RTI consultations. The median practice prescribed antibiotics at 38% of consultations for 'colds and upper RTIs', 48% for 'cough and bronchitis', 60% for 'sore throat', 60% for 'otitis-media' and 91% for 'rhino-sinusitis'. The highest prescribing 10% of practices issued antibiotic prescriptions at 72% of consultations for 'colds', 67% for 'cough', 78% for 'sore throat', 90% for 'otitis-media' and 100% for 'rhino-sinusitis'.
CONCLUSIONS:
Most UK general practices prescribe antibiotics to young and middle-aged adults with respiratory infections at rates that are considerably in excess of what is clinically justified. This will fuel antibiotic resistance.
e006245-[6pp]
Gulliford, M.C.
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Dregan, A.
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Moore, M.V.
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Ashworth, M.
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van Staa, T.
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McGann, G.
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Charlton, J.
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Yardley, L.
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Little, P.
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McDermott, L.
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2014
Gulliford, M.C.
443b6214-b206-405a-b13b-b93541e2defc
Dregan, A.
392a61a5-b1a1-4d41-87c3-18e3984b10b2
Moore, M.V.
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Ashworth, M.
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van Staa, T.
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McGann, G.
c13650db-df2a-42f8-aff2-18329ca36837
Charlton, J.
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Yardley, L.
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Little, P.
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McDermott, L.
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Gulliford, M.C., Dregan, A., Moore, M.V., Ashworth, M., van Staa, T., McGann, G., Charlton, J., Yardley, L., Little, P. and McDermott, L.
(2014)
Continued high rates of antibiotic prescribing to adults with respiratory tract infection: survey of 568 UK general practices.
BMJ Open, 4 (10), .
(doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006245).
(PMID:25348424)
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
Overutilisation of antibiotics may contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance, a growing international concern. This study aimed to analyse the performance of UK general practices with respect to antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) among young and middle-aged adults.
SETTING:
Data are reported for 568 UK general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
PARTICIPANTS:
Participants were adults aged 18-59?years. Consultations were identified for acute upper RTIs including colds, cough, otitis-media, rhino-sinusitis and sore throat.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:
For each consultation, we identified whether an antibiotic was prescribed. The proportion of RTI consultations with antibiotics prescribed was estimated.
RESULTS:
There were 568 general practices analysed. The median general practice prescribed antibiotics at 54% of RTI consultations. At the highest prescribing 10% of practices, antibiotics were prescribed at 69% of RTI consultations. At the lowest prescribing 10% of practices, antibiotics were prescribed at 39% RTI consultations. The median practice prescribed antibiotics at 38% of consultations for 'colds and upper RTIs', 48% for 'cough and bronchitis', 60% for 'sore throat', 60% for 'otitis-media' and 91% for 'rhino-sinusitis'. The highest prescribing 10% of practices issued antibiotic prescriptions at 72% of consultations for 'colds', 67% for 'cough', 78% for 'sore throat', 90% for 'otitis-media' and 100% for 'rhino-sinusitis'.
CONCLUSIONS:
Most UK general practices prescribe antibiotics to young and middle-aged adults with respiratory infections at rates that are considerably in excess of what is clinically justified. This will fuel antibiotic resistance.
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Published date: 2014
Organisations:
Primary Care & Population Sciences
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Local EPrints ID: 371958
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/371958
PURE UUID: dfd9829e-d84e-44bf-96b6-11538413a79a
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Date deposited: 25 Nov 2014 10:17
Last modified: 12 Jul 2024 01:42
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Contributors
Author:
M.C. Gulliford
Author:
A. Dregan
Author:
M. Ashworth
Author:
T. van Staa
Author:
G. McGann
Author:
J. Charlton
Author:
L. McDermott
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