Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36290081›Full record

ArticleAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)2022

Determinants of the Empiric Use of Antibiotics by General Practitioners in South Africa: Observational, Analytic, Cross-Sectional Study.

Sinenhlanhla Pearl Guma, Brian Godman, Stephen M Campbell, Ozayr Mahomed

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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

25 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. The microbiome in mind: Reflections on antibiotic prescription in primary care.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2025
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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

4 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Sinenhlanhla Pearl GumaDiscipline of Public Health Medicine, 227 George Campbell Building, Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa.
Brian GodmanDepartment of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-6539-6972
Stephen M CampbellDepartment of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa.
Ozayr MahomedDiscipline of Public Health Medicine, 227 George Campbell Building, Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-8076-0453
University of KwaZulu-Natal · ZAManchester Academic Health Science Centre · GBUniversity of Strathclyde · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The overuse of antibiotics is the main driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, there has been limited surveillance data on AMR and antibiotic prescribing at a primary healthcare level in South Africa. An observational, analytic, cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess key factors associated with empiric antibiotic prescribing among private sector general practitioners (GPs) in the eThekwini district in South Africa, particularly for patients with acute respiratory infections (ARIs). A semi-structured web-based questionnaire was used between November 2020−March 2021. One hundred and sixteen (55.5%) responding GPs prescribed antibiotics empirically for patients with ARIs more than 70% of the time, primarily for symptom relief and the prevention of complications. GPs between the ages of 35−44 years (OR: 3.38; 95%CI: 1.15−9.88), >55 years (OR: 4.75; 95% CI 1.08−21) and in practice < 15 years (OR: 2.20; 95%CI: 1.08−4.51) were significantly more likely to prescribe antibiotics empirically. Three factors—workload/time pressures; diagnostic uncertainty, and the use of a formulary, were significantly associated with empiric prescribing. GPs with more experience and working alone were slightly less likely to prescribe antibiotics empirically. These findings indicate that a combination of environmental factors are important underlying contributors to the development of AMR. As a result, guide appropriate interventions using a health system approach, which includes pertinent prescribing indicators and targets.

Indexed as

antimicrobial resistancediagnostic uncertaintyempiric antibiotic prescribinggeneral practitionersguidelinesSouth Africa

Identifiers

PMID36290081
PMCPMC9598257
OpenAlexW4306653234

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.