Academic Journal

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outpatient Antibiotic Prescription Rates in Children and Adolescents—A Claims-Based Study in Germany

التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان: The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outpatient Antibiotic Prescription Rates in Children and Adolescents—A Claims-Based Study in Germany
المؤلفون: Manas K. Akmatov, Claudia Kohring, Lotte Dammertz, Joachim Heuer, Maike Below, Jörg Bätzing, Jakob Holstiege
المصدر: Antibiotics, Vol 11, Iss 10, p 1433 (2022)
بيانات النشر: MDPI AG, 2022.
سنة النشر: 2022
المجموعة: LCC:Therapeutics. Pharmacology
مصطلحات موضوعية: adolescents, antibiotics, children, COVID-19, claims data, Germany, Therapeutics. Pharmacology, RM1-950
الوصف: The aim of the study was to examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had any effect on antibiotic prescription rates in children in Germany. Using the nationwide outpatient prescription data from the Statutory Health Insurance from 2010 to 2021, changes in the monthly prescriptions of systemic antibiotics dispensed to children aged 0–14 years were examined (n = 9,688,483 in 2021). Interrupted time series analysis was used to assess the effect of mitigation measures against SARS-COV-2, introduced in March and November 2020, on antibiotic prescription rates. In the pre-pandemic period, the antibiotic prescription rates displayed a linear decrease from 2010 to 2019 (mean annual decrease, –6%). In 2020, an immediate effect of mitigation measures on prescription rates was observed; in particular, the rate decreased steeply in April (RR 0.24, 95% CI: 0.14–0.41) and November 2020 (0.44, 0.27–0.73). The decrease was observed in all ages and for all antibiotic subgroups. However, this effect was temporary. Regionally, prescription rates were highly correlated between 2019 and 2020/2021. Substantial reductions in antibiotic prescription rates following the mitigation measures may indicate limited access to medical care, changes in care-seeking behavior and/or a decrease of respiratory infections. Despite an all-time low of antibiotic use, regional variations remained high and strongly correlated with pre-pandemic levels.
نوع الوثيقة: article
وصف الملف: electronic resource
اللغة: English
تدمد: 2079-6382
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/10/1433; https://doaj.org/toc/2079-6382
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101433
URL الوصول: https://doaj.org/article/4bddf1cf8ba44801a34a5a93e94617d6
رقم الانضمام: edsdoj.4bddf1cf8ba44801a34a5a93e94617d6
قاعدة البيانات: Directory of Open Access Journals
الوصف
تدمد:20796382
DOI:10.3390/antibiotics11101433