The Clinical and Economic Burden of Antibiotic Use in Pediatric Patients With Varicella Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Real-World Data in England.
J Infect Dis
; 230(1): e65-e74, 2024 Jul 25.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39052702
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Varicella is a highly infectious disease, particularly affecting children, that can lead to complications requiring antibiotics or hospitalization. Antibiotic use for varicella management is poorly documented. This study assessed antibiotic use for varicella and its complications in a pediatric population in England.METHODS:
Data were drawn from medical records in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics data sets. The study included patients <18 years old with varicella diagnosed during 2014-2018 and 3-month follow-up available. We determined varicella-related complications, medication use, healthcare resource utilization, and costs from diagnosis until 3 months after diagnosis.RESULTS:
We identified 114 578 children with a primary varicella diagnosis. Of these, 7.7% (n = 8814) had a varicella-related complication, the most common being ear, nose, and throat related (37.1% [n = 3271]). In all, 25.9% (n = 29 706 of 114 578) were prescribed antibiotics. A higher proportion of patients with complications than without complications were prescribed antibiotics (64.3% [n = 5668 of 8814] vs 22.7% [n = 24 038 of 105 764]). Mean annualized varicella-related costs were £2 231 481 for the study cohort. Overall, antibiotic prescriptions cost approximately £262 007.CONCLUSIONS:
This study highlights high antibiotic use and healthcare resource utilization associated with varicella management, particularly in patients with complications. A national varicella vaccination program in England may reduce varicella burden and related complications, medication use, and costs.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Varicela
/
Antibacterianos
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Child
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Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
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Infant
/
Male
/
Newborn
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Infect Dis
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos