Antibiotics still misused in babies with viral lung infections

Thursday, January 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) – US emergency rooms routinely prescribe antibiotics to infants with infectious bronchitis of the lung, contrary to recommendations made more than a decade ago.

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization of American babies during their first year of life. In bronchiolitis, the small airways of the lung (bronchioles) ignite and become congested, usually because of a virus. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.

A 2006 recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) recommended against antibiotics for bronchiolitis in children without documented bacterial infection.

An badysis of emergency department visits between 2007 and 2015 found that about 25% of children with bronchiolitis at less than 2 years were receiving antibiotics, a rate similar to that applied prior to APA's recommendation. .

Among babies who received antibiotics for bronchiolitis during the study period, 70% had no documented bacterial infections, according to the study published Jan. 17. Journal of the Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

But antibiotics have disadvantages. According to a previous study, their side effects cause approximately 70,000 visits to emergency departments every year among American children.

In addition, misuse also contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can cause more difficult infections to treat, a growing threat to public health.

"Targeted interventions to reduce inappropriate prescriptions among clinicians are essential," said Dr. Brett Burstein, an experienced author, in a press release.

"But at the same time, informing the lay public of potential downstream consequences and why it is important not to over-treat viral diseases is just as important," he added.

Burstein is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Canada.

The study also found that children with bronchiolitis who had been seen in emergency departments located in teaching hospitals or pediatric hospitals were more likely to be prescribed antibiotics.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on bronchiolitis.