Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33506197›Full record

ArticleJAC-antimicrobial resistance2021

Inter-prescriber variability in the decision to prescribe antibiotics to febrile patients attending primary care in Myanmar.

Myo Maung Maung Swe, Elizabeth A Ashley, Thomas Althaus, Yoel Lubell, Frank Smithuis, Alistair R D Mclean

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JAC-antimicrobial resistance, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. 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.

Myo Maung Maung SweMyanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar (MOCRU), Yangon, Myanmar.ORCID 0000-0002-6044-8718
Elizabeth A AshleyMyanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar (MOCRU), Yangon, Myanmar.ORCID 0000-0002-7620-4822
Thomas AlthausThe Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Yoel LubellThe Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Frank SmithuisMyanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar (MOCRU), Yangon, Myanmar.
Alistair R D McleanMyanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar (MOCRU), Yangon, Myanmar.ORCID 0000-0003-3449-7142

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost antibiotic prescribing occurs in primary care. Even within the same health facility, there may be differences between prescribers in their tendency to prescribe antibiotics, which may be masked by summary data. We aimed to quantify prescriber variability in antibiotic prescription to patients with acute fever in primary care clinics in Myanmar.

methodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of prescribing data from 1090 patient consultations with 40 prescribing doctors from a trial investigating the effect of point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) tests on antibiotic prescription for acute fever. We used multilevel logistic regression models to assess inter-prescriber variability in the decision to prescribe antibiotics.

resultsThe median odds ratio (MOR) in the unadjusted model was 1.82 (95% CI: 1.47-2.56) indicating that when two prescribers from this population are randomly selected then in half of these pairs the odds of prescription will be greater than 1.82-fold higher in one prescriber than the other. The estimated variability from this sample of prescribers corresponds to a population of prescribers where the top 25% of prescribers will prescribe antibiotics to over 41% of patients while the bottom 25% will prescribe antibiotics to less than 23% of patients. Inter-prescriber variation in antibiotic prescribing remained after adjustment for patient characteristics and CRP information (

conclusionsDespite sharing the same management guidelines, there was substantial inter-prescriber variation in antibiotic prescription to patients with acute fever. This variation should be considered when designing trials and stewardship programmes aiming to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Identifiers

PMID33506197
PMCPMC7814214

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