General practice antibiotic prescriptions attributable to respiratory syncytial virus by age and antibiotic class: an ecological analysis of the English population.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may contribute to a substantial volume of antibiotic prescriptions in primary care. However, data on the type of antibiotics prescribed for such infections are only available for children <5 years in the UK. Understanding the contribution of RSV to antibiotic prescribing would facilitate predicting the impact of RSV preventative measures on antibiotic use and resistance. The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions in English general practice attributable to RSV by age and antibiotic class.

Methods

Generalized additive models examined associations between weekly counts of general practice antibiotic prescriptions and laboratory-confirmed respiratory infections from 2015 to 2018, adjusting

SUBMITTER: Miller L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11962385 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature