Did the accuracy of oral amoxicillin dosing of children improve after British National Formulary dose revisions in 2014? National cross-sectional survey in England.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Inaccurate antibiotic dosing can lead to treatment failure, fuel antimicrobial resistance and increase side effects. The British National Formulary for Children (BNFC) guidance recommends oral antibiotic dosing according to age bands as a proxy for weight. Recommended doses of amoxicillin for children were increased in 2014 'after widespread concerns of under dosing'. However, the impact of dose changes on British children of different weights is unknown, particularly given the rising prevalence of childhood obesity in the UK. We aimed to estimate the accuracy of oral amoxicillin dosing in British children before and after the revised BNFC guidance in 2014.

Setting and participants

We used data on age and weights for 1556 British children (aged 2-18 years) from a

SUBMITTER: Rann O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5623497 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature