Antibiotics for Fever Among Children: Findings From the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India Cohorts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute febrile illness in children is frequently treated with antibiotics. However, the inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Methods

We measured use of antibiotics for fever in 4 pediatric cohorts that were part of the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India (SEFI) network. In this network, 24 062 children were followed up weekly, capturing information on fever and other morbidity between October 2017 and December 2019.

Results

An antibiotic was given in 27 183 of the 76 027 (35.8%) episodes of fever. The incidence of fever-related antibiotic use was 58.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 57.2-58.6) per 100 child-years. The median time to initiation of antibiotics was 4 days, and in 65% of those who receive

SUBMITTER: Karthikeyan AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8892537 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature