Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29490061›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy2018

Defining the appropriateness and inappropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in primary care.

David R M Smith, F Christiaan K Dolk, Koen B Pouwels, Morag Christie, Julie V Robotham, Timo Smieszek

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
6.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Antibiotics for treatment of sore throat in children and adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

David R M SmithModelling and Economics Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
F Christiaan K DolkModelling and Economics Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
Koen B PouwelsModelling and Economics Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
Morag ChristieHealth Protection Scotland, NHS National Services Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
Julie V RobothamModelling and Economics Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
Timo SmieszekModelling and Economics Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
Public Health England · GBUniversity of Groningen · NLHealth Protection Scotland · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the appropriateness of prescribing systemic antibiotics for different clinical conditions in primary care, and to quantify 'ideal' antibiotic prescribing proportions in conditions for which antibiotic treatment is sometimes but not always indicated. Methods: Prescribing guidelines were consulted to define the appropriateness of antibiotic therapy for the conditions that resulted in antibiotic prescriptions between 2013 and 2015 in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) primary care database. The opinions of subject experts were then formally elicited to quantify ideal antibiotic prescribing proportions for 10 common conditions. Results: Of the antibiotic prescriptions in THIN, 52.5% were for conditions that could be assessed using prescribing guidelines. Among these, the vast majority of prescriptions (91.4%) were for conditions where antibiotic appropriateness is conditional on patient-specific indicators. Experts estimated low ideal prescribing proportions in acute, non-comorbid presentations of many of these conditions, such as cough (10% of patients), rhinosinusitis (11%), bronchitis (13%) and sore throat (13%). Conversely, antibiotics were believed to be appropriate in 75% of non-pregnant women with non-recurrent urinary tract infection. In impetigo and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, experts clustered into distinct groups that believed in either high or low prescribing. Conclusions: In English primary care, most antibiotics are prescribed for conditions that only sometimes require antibiotic treatment, depending on patient-specific indicators. Experts estimated low ideal prescribing proportions in many of these conditions. Incomplete prescribing guidelines and disagreement about prescribing in some conditions highlight further research needs.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Bacterial AgentsBronchitisChildChild, PreschoolCoughDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansInappropriate PrescribingMaleMiddle AgedPharyngitisAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID29490061
PMCPMC5890733
OpenAlexW2791530385

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.