Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42420950›Full record

ArticleBMC pediatrics2026

Pediatric empiric antibiotic use and resistance patterns at a single tertiary care hospital in Tanzania.

Anneka M Hooft, Kum Su Sunny Hwang, Raya Mussa, Prachi Singh, Hendry Robert Sawe, Juma A Mfinanga, Newton Addo, Teresa Kortz, Joel Manyahi

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Article in BMC pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Anneka M HooftDepartments of Emergency Medicine and Paediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Anneka.hooft@ucsf.edu.
Kum Su Sunny HwangDepartment of Paediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Raya MussaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Prachi SinghDepartment of Paediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Hendry Robert SaweDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Juma A MfinangaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Newton AddoDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Teresa KortzInstitute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Joel ManyahiDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite growing microbiology capacity in Tanzanian public hospitals, pediatric-specific antibiograms remain rare, and patterns of empiric antibiotic use in emergency care are poorly described compared to high-income settings. Understanding resistance profiles and empiric prescribing practices is essential for developing successful pediatric antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs.

objectivesTo assess baseline pediatric empiric antibiotic use in the emergency medical department (EMD) and microbiology results from children at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), a tertiary care center and referral hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

designWe retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of children seen in the EMD over a one-year period to document empiric antibiotic use and indications. Blood and urine cultures were analyzed to construct a pediatric-specific antibiogram and assess resistance patterns.

resultsOf 2,316 patients prescribed antibiotics, lower respiratory infection (n = 532, 23%), prophylaxis (n = 380, 16%), and upper respiratory infection (n = 277, 12%) were the most common single indications for use. Ceftriaxone was the most frequently used antibiotic (n = 1,658, 72%). Microbiology data revealed low susceptibility of gram-negative isolates to ceftriaxone: 20% (10/49) in K. pneumoniae and 18% (9/51) in E. coli. Over 90% of Enterobacterales met criteria for multidrug resistance (MDR).

conclusionsCeftriaxone was the most common empiric antibiotic, particularly for lower respiratory infections. Antibiotic treatment selection aligned with local sepsis guidelines, emphasizing broad criteria for therapy rather than national, source-directed infectious disease treatment guidelines. Resistance data demonstrated frequent ceftriaxone resistance among gram-negative organisms. Future studies are needed to understand clinicians' use of bacterial cultures and clinical outcomes in children with resistant isolates. Quality improvement initiatives should incorporate regular review of antibiotic prescribing patterns and microbiology data to ensure treatment guidelines reflect local epidemiology.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsDrug Resistance, BacterialPractice Patterns, Physicians'AdolescentAntimicrobial StewardshipChildChild, PreschoolEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMicrobial Sensitivity TestsRespiratory Tract InfectionsRetrospective StudiesAnti-Bacterial AgentsThird Generation CephalosporinsAntibiogramAntibiotic resistanceAntimicrobial stewardshipPediatricsSub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID42420950
PMCPMC13640168

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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.