RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Antibiotics represent one of the most widely prescribed therapeutic agents in children. It has been estimated that 30-50% of antibiotic prescriptions for this population are inappropriate. In this scenario, analysis of prescription data provides an invaluable source of information as a basis for implementing strategies for improvement in this field. OBJECTIVE: To assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions in a paediatric population at an emergency department. METHODS: An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted on patients under 14 years who attended the emergency department during 2013. A random sample of 630 patients was selected (confidence level 99%, accuracy 5%). To assess the suitability of antibiotic prescriptions, the clinical practice was compared with an evidence-based guideline especially designed for this study. RESULTS: Antibiotics were prescribed to 16.5% patients (n=104). Antibiotic treatment was inappropriate in 51.9% patients (n=54). Unnecessary treatment was indicated in 40.7%, with wrong antibiotics chosen in 35.2%, and the posology was incorrect in 24.1% of them. The most frequent diseases with incorrectly prescribed antibiotics were: acute otitis media, episodes of wheezing, fever of unknown origin, acute pharyngo-tonsillitis, and community-acquired pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic prescribing seems to be inappropriate in up to half of the patients. These data reinforce the need to develop a paediatric antimicrobial stewardship program to decrease the unnecessary use of antimicrobial agents.