Risk of Resistance Due to Incorrect Use of Antibiotics in Children

The problems of irrational antibiotic therapy are also observed in children who received treatment for community-acquired pneumonia. This is because pediatricians prescribe antibiotics that are not recommended in clinical guidelines. According to American colleagues who analyzed the medical records of more than 10,000 children treated in outpatient clinics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, only slightly more than one-third (40.7%) received the recommended amoxicillin. On the other hand, macrolides were prescribed in 42.5% of cases, and broad-spectrum antibiotics were used in 16.8% of cases.