A trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis of antibiotic prescription strategies for non-complicated respiratory tract infections in children.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children attending primary care centres is almost double that predicted according to bacterial prevalence. Delayed antibiotic prescription (DAP) is designed to deploy a more rational use of antibiotics. While studies have evaluated DAP efficacy and safety for children with RTIs, little research has been conducted on the economic implications. METHODS: Our trial compared cost-effectiveness for DAP, immediate antibiotic prescription (IAP), and no antibiotic prescription (NAP) for children aged 2-14 years with acute uncomplicated RTIs attended to in 39 primary care centres in Spain. The main outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), measured in euros per gained quality-adjusted life days (QALDs). Net monetary benefit (NMB) was also calculated as a tool for decision making. The analysis was performed from a societal perspective for a time horizon of 30 days, and included healthcare direct costs, non-healthcare direct and indirect costs, and the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) cost. RESULTS: DAP was the most cost-effective strategy, even when the cost of AMR was included. QALD values for the three strategies were very similar. IAP compared to DAP was more costly (109.68 vs 100.90 euros) and similarly effective (27.88 vs 27.94 QALDs). DAP compared to NAP was more costly (100.90 vs 97.48 euros) and more effective (27.94 vs. 27.82 QALDs). The ICER for DAP compared to NAP was 28.84 euros per QALD. The deterministic sensitivity analysis indicated that non-healthcare indirect costs had the greatest impact on the ICER. The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve showed that DAP was the preferred option in approximately 81.75% of Monte Carlo iterations, assuming a willingness-to-pay value of 82.2 euros per gained QALD. CONCLUSIONS: When clinicians are in doubt about whether an antibiotic is needed for children with RTIs attending PC centres, those treated with the DAP strategy will have slightly better efficiency outcomes than those treated with IAP because its costs are lower than those of IAP. DAP is also the most cost-effective strategy over a time horizon of 30 days if AMR is considered, despite higher short-term costs than NAP. However, if in the long term the costs of AMR are larger than estimated, NAP could also be an alternative strategy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial has been registered at www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov (identifier NCT01800747; Date: 28/02/2013 (retrospectively registered).

Delayed Antibiotic Prescription for Children With Respiratory Infections: A Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of delayed antibiotic prescription (DAP) compared to immediate antibiotic prescription (IAP) and no antibiotic prescription (NAP) in children with uncomplicated respiratory infections. METHODS: Randomized clinical trial comparing 3 antibiotic prescription strategies. The participants were children with acute uncomplicated respiratory infections attended to in 39 primary care centers. Children were randomly assigned into prescription arms as follows: (1) DAP, (2) IAP, or (3) NAP. Primary outcomes were symptom duration and severity. Secondary outcomes were antibiotic use, parental satisfaction, parental beliefs, additional primary care visits, and complications at 30 days. RESULTS: In total, 436 children were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) duration of severe symptoms was 10.1 (6.3) for IAP, 10.9 (8.5) for NAP, and 12.4 (8.4) for DAP (P = .539), although the differences were not statistically significant. The median (interquartile range) of the greatest severity for any symptom was similar for the 3 arms (median [interquartile range] score of 3 [2-4]; P = .619). Antibiotic use was significantly higher for IAP (n = 142 [96%]) compared to DAP (n = 37 [25.3%]) and NAP (n = 17 [12.0%]) (P < .001). Complications, additional visits to primary care, and satisfaction were similar for all strategies. Gastrointestinal adverse effects were higher for IAP. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant difference in symptom duration or severity in children with uncomplicated respiratory infections who received DAP compared to NAP or IAP strategies; however, DAP reduced antibiotic use and gastrointestinal adverse effects.

[Educational intervention in Primary Care to reduce and improve the adequacy of pediatric consultations]. / Intervención educativa en atención primaria para reducir y mejorar la adecuación de las consultas pediátricas.

OBJECTIVE: Many parents visit paediatric health services due to unimportant reasons (ignorance of health problems of their children and psychosocial and emotional conditionings). The objective was to determine the effectiveness of a health education program, on the number and adequacy of pediatric consultations, in the first 6 months of the child´s life. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study of an educational intervention aimed at pregnant women in the last trimester of pregnancy and their partners. A simple random sampling of the health centers of the province of Valladolid was carried out, assigning four to the intervention group and two to the control group. The pregnant women were informed and participated voluntarily during the period from October 2016 to March 2017.The program consisted of six dynamic and participatory sessions of 90 minutes: rational use of paediatric services, fever, respiratory infec- tions (ARI), gastroenteritis (GEA), skin injuries, and accidents. The variables studies were: epidemiological data of the parents, number of consultations and their adequacy have been analyzed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (v.20.0). Changes in participants before and after receiving workshops were analysed with Student's t test for related samples, or with its alternative test, Wilcoxon's non-parametric test. RESULTS: 191 pregnant woman were analyzed (101 control and 90 intervention). First-time pregnant women (62.3% intervention vs 54.1% control) with the high-school trained (59,1% intervention vs 44,2% control) were more participatory. The number of consultations for the reasons studied was reduced (3,5 in the control group vs 2,0 in the intervention group), and the level of adequacy improved in 16,3% (RR:1,62;95%CI:1,26-2,07;p<0,05). CONCLUSIONS: These positive results regarding the decrease in the number of consultations and the increase in their adequacy lead us to clearly recommend the establishment of prenatal interviews addressing most common health issues in children, in the Primary Care setting.

OBJETIVO: Muchos padres acuden a la consultas de pe- diatría por motivos banales (desconocimiento de los problemas de salud de sus hijos, condicionantes psicosociales y emocionales, etc.). El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la efectividad de un programa de educación para la salud sobre el número y la adecuación de las consultas pediátricas en los primeros 6 meses de la vida. METODOS: Estudio cuasi experimental de una intervención educativa dirigida a gestantes en último trimestre de la gestación y sus parejas, comparando sus efectos con un grupo control. Se realizó un muestreo aleatorio simple de los centros de salud de la provincia de Valladolid, asignando cuatro al grupo de intervención y dos al de control. Las gestantes del grupo intervención fueron informadas y participaron de forma voluntaria durante el periodo de octubre de 2016 a marzo de 2017. El programa consistió en 6 sesiones dinámicas y participativas de 90 minutos, sobre uso racional de los servicios de urgencias pediátricos, fiebre, infecciones respiratorias agudas (IRA), gastroenteritis (GEA), lesiones de la piel y accidentes. Se analizaron datos epidemiológicos de los progenitores, número de consultas y su adecuación. El análisis de los datos se realizó mediante el programa estadístico SPSS (v.20.0). Los cambios en los participantes antes y después de recibir los talleres se analizaron con la prueba t de Student para muestras relacionadas, o con su prueba alternativa, la prueba no paramétrica de Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: Se analizaron 202 gestantes (101 control y 101 intervención). Las gestantes primerizas (62.3% intervención vs 54.1% control) y de mayor nivel educativo (59,1% intervención vs 44,2% control) fueron las que más acudían a las sesiones. Se demostró una reducción en el número de consultas pediátricas por los motivos estudiados (en el grupo control fue de 3,5 frente a 2,0 en el grupo intervención) y mejoró el nivel de adecuación un 16,3% (RR: 1,62; 95% IC: 1,26-2,07; p<0,05). CONCLUSIONES: Estos resultados positivos con respecto a la disminución en el número de consultas y el aumento de su adecuación nos llevan a recomendar claramente el establecimiento de intervenciones grupales prenatales que aborden los problemas de salud más comunes en los niños, en el entorno de la Atención Primaria.