Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37009572›Full record

ArticleIJID regions2023

Antibiotic prescription patterns for acute upper respiratory tract infections in an outpatient population with health insurance in Syria - a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Marwa Mhd Jamal Al Sous, Hasan Nabil Al Houri, Mhd Homam Safiah, Sara Omar Alazrak, Rami Radi Akwan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in IJID regions, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 31% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Antibiotic prescribing in public primary healthcare centres in Maseru, Lesotho.Southern African journal of infectious diseases · 2025
    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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Marwa Mhd Jamal Al SousPharmacology Department, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Hasan Nabil Al HouriInternal Medicine Department, Damascus University, Al Assad University Hospital, and Al Mouwasat University Hospital, Damascus, Syria.
Mhd Homam SafiahFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Sara Omar AlazrakFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Rami Radi AkwanFaculty of Medicine, Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria.
Syrian Private University · SYDamascus University · SY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Antibacterial resistance is an ongoing global issue, threatening the lives of millions and affecting the quality of health systems, resulting in high costs to the worldwide economy. Syria is one of many countries with a high rate of antibiotic prescription or consumption, even before the war. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the pattern of antibiotic prescribing with regard to acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI) cases throughout the year 2019; data were collected from GlobeMed Syria (now Modern Healthcare Claims Management Company) following ethical approval. Results: The study comprised 14 913 cases, of which 13 382 (90%) had received an antibiotic prescription. All age groups showed high prescribing rates, with the 46-55 years age group having the highest (95.0%). Acute tonsillitis had the most significant percentage of antibiotics prescribed (98.7%). Cephalosporins were the most commonly prescribed antibiotic class. Family physicians were more inclined to prescribe antibiotics than those in other specialism groups. Conclusion: Syria has a high rate of prescribing antibiotics for AURTIs, which may contribute to the evolution of resistant bacteria. The rate is higher than those reported in other Arab countries. Physicians need to commit to following the official guidelines, taking the appropriate prescribing of antibiotics more seriously, and should take more care in distinguishing viral origins of AURTIs.

Indexed as

Acute upper respiratory tract infectionAntibiotic resistanceAntibiotics misuseAntibiotics overuse

Identifiers

PMID37009572
PMCPMC10064427
OpenAlexW4323044400

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.