Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40750850›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2025

Antimicrobial prescribing patterns among pediatric outpatient encounters in primary healthcare centers in Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi.

Audace Manirakiza, Shital Mahindra Maru, David Gitonga Nyamu, Thomas Bizimana, Manassé Nimpagaritse

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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. Article
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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

5 authors.

Audace ManirakizaMaster of Science in Health Supply Chain Management at the East African Community Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization, and Health Supply Chain Management, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. audmanif@gmail.com.
Shital Mahindra MaruDepartment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Naïrobi, Naïrobi, Kenya.
David Gitonga NyamuDepartment of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Naïrobi, Naïrobi, Kenya.
Thomas BizimanaMaster of Science in Health Supply Chain Management at the East African Community Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization, and Health Supply Chain Management, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Manassé NimpagaritseDepartment of Research, Institut National de Santé Publique, Bujumbura, Burundi.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnderstanding prescribing patterns is essential for developing targeted interventions to promote rational antimicrobial use. This study evaluated antimicrobial prescribing patterns among pediatric outpatients at primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Bujumbura Mairie, republic of Burundi.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study at 20 PHCs in Bujumbura Mairie, Republic of Burundi, to evaluate antimicrobial prescribing patterns. We collected retrospectively 2022-year data from medical records using the World Health Organization/International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (WHO/INRUD) core drug indicators. According to these WHO guidelines, a minimum sample size of 600 prescriptions is recommended to assess drug use indicators. To meet this requirement, a total of 800 paediatric outpatient prescriptions were sampled. Prescriptions for inpatients were excluded.

resultsA total of 497 (62.1%) out of 800 prescriptions contained antimicrobials, far exceeding WHO recommendations (20-26.8%). Younger patients, particularly children under five, received the highest proportion of antimicrobial prescriptions (15.6%). Although generic prescribing (95.0%) and adherence to the National Essential Medicine Lists (NEML) (95.8%) were high, they fell short of WHO benchmarks (100%). Most prescriptions followed monotherapy (92.8%) with a low average of 1.1 antimicrobials per prescription (WHO guidelines 1.6-1.8). Although Access-group dominated (71.3%), Watch-group usage (25.3%) surpassed the recommended threshold (< 20%), and WHO non-recommended fixed-dose combinations were also prescribed (3.4%). In addition, 26.2% of prescriptions lacked documented indications.

conclusionThe present study highlights strong adherence to essential medicine lists and generic antimicrobial use. However, findings also reveal areas for improvement, including the need for documentation of indication and reduction of utilization of Watch group antibiotic use. To optimize antimicrobial use and prevent AMR in Burundi's paediatric population, further national research, healthcare worker training, diagnostics, and antimicrobial stewardship implementation are necessary.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective AgentsDrug PrescriptionsPractice Patterns, Physicians'Primary Health CareAdolescentBurundiChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleRetrospective StudiesAnti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective AgentsAntimicrobial prescriptionsBujumbura mairieBurundiPediatric outpatientsPrimary health centres

Identifiers

PMID40750850
PMCPMC12317568

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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.