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This study presents the perspective of an international group of experts, providing an overview of existing models and policies and guidance to facilitate a proper and sustainable implementation of C-reactive protein point-of-care testing (CRP POCT) to support antibiotic prescribing decisions for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) with the aim to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR threatens to render life-saving antibiotics ineffective and is already costing millions of lives and billions of Euros worldwide. AMR is strongly correlated with the volume of antibiotics used. Most antibiotics are prescribed in primary care, mostly for RTIs, and are often unnecessary. CRP POCT is an available tool and has been proven to safely and cost-effectively reduce antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care. Though established in a few European countries during several years, it has still not been implemented in many European countries. Due to the complexity of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing behavior, a multifaceted approach is necessary to enable sustainable change. The effect is maximized with clear guidance, advanced communication training for primary care physicians, and delayed antibiotic prescribing strategies. CRP POCT should be included in professional guidelines and implemented together with complementary strategies. Adequate reimbursement needs to be provided, and high-quality, and primary care-friendly POCT organization and performance must be enabled. Data gathering, sharing, and discussion as incentivization for proper behaviors should be enabled. Public awareness should be increased, and healthcare professionals' awareness and understanding should be ensured. Impactful use is achieved when all stakeholders join forces to facilitate proper implementation.
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Antibacterianos , Proteína C-Reactiva , Pruebas en el Punto de Atención , Atención Primaria de Salud , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio , Humanos , Proteína C-Reactiva/análisis , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/tratamiento farmacológico , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/diagnóstico , Europa (Continente) , Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
Primary care antimicrobial stewardship programs have limited success in reducing antibiotic use, prompting the search for new strategies. Convincing general practitioners to resist antibiotic prescription amid uncertainty or patient demands usually poses a significant challenge. Despite common practice, standard durations for common infections lack support from clinical studies. Contrary to common belief, extending antibiotic treatment beyond the resolution of symptoms does not seem to prevent or reduce antimicrobial resistance. Shortening the duration of antibiotic therapy has shown to be effective in mitigating the spread of resistance, particularly in cases of pneumonia. Recent hospital randomised trials suggest that ending antibiotic courses by day three for most lower respiratory tract infections is effective and safe. While community studies are scarce, it is likely that these shorter, tailored courses to meet patients' needs would also be effective and safe in primary care. Therefore, primary care studies should investigate the outcomes of advising patients to discontinue antibiotic treatment upon symptom resolution. Implementing patient-centred, customised treatment durations, rather than fixed courses, is crucial for meeting individual patient needs.
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BACKGROUND: Evidence shows a high rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in primary care. There is increasing evidence showing that shorter courses for RTIs are safe and help in reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Stopping antibiotics earlier, as soon as patients feel better, rather than completing antibiotic courses, may help reduce unnecessary exposure to antibiotics and AMR. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and views of primary care healthcare professionals about customising antibiotic duration for RTIs by asking patients to stop the antibiotic course when they feel better. DESIGN: Qualitative research. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 21 qualitative interviews with primary care professionals (experts and non-experts in AMR) were conducted from June to September 2023. Data were audiorecorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Overall, experts seemed more amenable to tailoring the antibiotic duration for RTIs when patients feel better. They also found the dogma of 'completing the course' to be obsolete, as evidence is changing and reducing the duration might lead to less AMR, but claimed that evidence that this strategy is as beneficial and safe as fixed courses was unambiguous. Non-experts, however, believed the dogma of completing the course. Clinicians expressed mixed views on what feeling better might mean, supporting a shared decision-making approach when appropriate. Participants claimed good communication to professionals and patients, but were sceptical about the risk of medicalisation when asking patients to contact clinicians again for a check-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians reported positive and negative views about individualising antibiotic courses for RTIs, but, in general, experts supported a customised antibiotic duration as soon as patients feel better. The information provided by this qualitative study will allow improving the performance of a large randomised clinical trial aimed at evaluating if this strategy is safe and beneficial.
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Médicos Generales , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio , Humanos , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/tratamiento farmacológico , Investigación Cualitativa , Prescripciones de Medicamentos , Atención Primaria de Salud , PercepciónRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are associated with 25-40% of antibiotics consumed in primary care and are, therefore, driving antibiotic resistance. The worldwide increase in antibiotic resistance especially in Escherichia coli has complicated the treatment choices for UTIs and absence of effective oral antibiotics may lead to increasing need for more effective treatments. AREAS COVERED: In this review we focus on the importance of the correct diagnosis of UTI as based on proof of urinary pathogens in the urine and discuss diagnostic measures including microscopy, dipstick, and culture. Antibiotic treatment can often await diagnostic measures with pain relief such as ibuprofen. The risk of an uncomplicated UTI leading to pyelonephritis is low (1-2%) and presence of bacteria in the bladder leaves some time for the immune system to react. Three antibiotics are recommended as based on their activity, and low propensity to select for resistance, i.e. nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin, and pivmecillinam, and in general, 3-5 days of treatment will suffice. EXPERT OPINION: Understanding the usual benign course of uUTIs can help reduce antibiotic treatment in many cases, e.g. starting treatment by pain relief and awaiting the course of infection without antibiotics. Better rapid tests in primary care are urgently needed to enforce such policies.
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Infecciones Urinarias , Humanos , Infecciones Urinarias/diagnóstico , Infecciones Urinarias/tratamiento farmacológico , Infecciones Urinarias/microbiología , Antibacterianos/farmacología , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Nitrofurantoína , Farmacorresistencia Microbiana , DolorRESUMEN
This paper provides the perspective of an international group of experts on the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing (POCT) and complementary strategies such as enhanced communication skills training and delayed prescribing to improve antibiotic stewardship in the primary care of children presenting with an acute illness episode due to an acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). To improve antibiotics prescribing decisions, CRP POCT should be considered to complement the clinical assessment of children (6 months to 14 years) presenting with an ARTI in a primary care setting. CRP POCT can help decide whether a serious infection can be ruled out, before deciding on further treatments or management, when clinical assessment is unconclusive. Based on the evidence currently available, a CRP value can be a valuable support for clinical reasoning and facilitate communication with patients and parents, but the clinical assessment should prevail when making a therapy or referral decision. Nearly half of children tested in the primary care setting can be expected to have a CRP value below 20â mg/l, in which case it is strongly suggested to avoid prescribing antibiotics when the clinical assessment supports ruling out a severe infection. For children with CRP values greater than or equal to 20â mg/l, additional measures such as additional diagnostic tests, observation time, re-assessment by a senior decision-maker, and specialty referrals, should be considered.
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Misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotics contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to identify and prioritize misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use from a healthcare professionals' perspective. A modified Delphi study with a predefined list of statements, two questionnaire rounds, and an expert meeting was conducted. The statements were rated by healthcare professionals from France, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain, and from general practice, out-of-hour services, nursing homes, and pharmacies. A total of 44 pre-defined statements covered the following themes: (1) antimicrobial resistance in general, (2) use of antibiotics in general, (3) use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, and (4) use of antibiotics for urinary tract infections. Consensus was defined as ≥80% agreement between the professionals during the second Delphi round. For 30% of the statements, professionals from the four settings together reached consensus. In each setting individually, at least 50% of the statements reached consensus, indicating that there are still many misconceptions and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Six educational tools (leaflets, posters, checklists) were developed to address the knowledge gaps and misconceptions. These can be used by patients and healthcare professionals to improve the use of antibiotics in practice.
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Over the last years, the susceptibility activity of the most common microorganisms causing community-acquired infections has significantly changed in Spain. Based on the susceptibility rates of Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae collected from outpatients aged 15 or older with symptoms of respiratory or urinary tract infections in several Microbiology Departments in Catalonia in 2021, penicillin V should be first choice for most respiratory tract infections, amoxicillin and clavulanate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations and a single dose of fosfomycin or a short-course nitrofurantoin should remain first-line treatments for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Updated information on antimicrobial resistance for general practitioners is crucial for achieving appropriate empirical management of the most common infections by promoting more rational antibiotic use.(AU)
En los últimos años han cambiado significativamente los porcentajes de sensibilidad de los microorganismos más comunes que causan infecciones adquiridas en la comunidad en España. A partir de los porcentajes de sensibilidad de Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli y Klebsiella pneumoniae, recogidas de aislados de pacientes ambulatorios de 15 años o más, con síntomas de infecciones respiratorias o urinarias en servicios de microbiología de Cataluña en 2021, fenoximetilpenicilina debería ser la primera opción en la mayoría de los infecciones respiratorias, amoxicilina y ácido clavulánico en las exacerbaciones de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica y la monodosis de fosfomicina o la pauta corta de nitrofurantoína como tratamiento de primera línea en las infecciones urinarias no complicadas. Es importante que los médicos de familia dispongan de información actualizada sobre la resistencia a los antimicrobianos para lograr un manejo empírico adecuado de las infecciones más frecuentes al promover un uso más racional de los antibióticos.(AU)
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Humanos , Infecciones Comunitarias Adquiridas/tratamiento farmacológico , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Escherichia coli , Haemophilus influenzae , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Streptococcus pyogenes , España/epidemiología , Infecciones Comunitarias Adquiridas/inmunologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Primary care is a critical partner for antimicrobial stewardship efforts given its high human antibiotic usage. Peer comparison audit and feedback (A&F) is often used to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. The design and implementation of A&F may impact its effectiveness. There are no best practice guidelines for peer comparison A&F in antibiotic prescribing in primary care. OBJECTIVE: To develop best practice guidelines for peer comparison A&F for antibiotic prescribing in primary care in high income countries by leveraging international expertise via the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance-Primary Care Antibiotic Audit and Feedback Network. METHODS: We used a modified Delphi process to achieve convergence of expert opinions on best practice statements for peer comparison A&F based on existing evidence and theory. Three rounds were performed, each with online surveys and virtual meetings to enable discussion and rating of each best practice statement. A five-point Likert scale was used to rate consensus with a median threshold score of 4 to indicate a consensus statement. RESULTS: The final set of guidelines include 13 best practice statements in four categories: general considerations (n = 3), selecting feedback recipients (n = 1), data and indicator selection (n = 4), and feedback delivery (n = 5). CONCLUSION: We report an expert-derived best practice recommendations for designing and evaluating peer comparison A&F for antibiotic prescribing in primary care. These 13 statements can be used by A&F designers to optimize the impact of their quality improvement interventions, and improve antibiotic prescribing in primary care.
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Antibacterianos , Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana , Humanos , Retroalimentación , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Técnica Delphi , Atención Primaria de SaludRESUMEN
The world faces the threat of increasing antimicrobial resistance, and there is growing consensus that swift action must be taken to improve the rational use of antibiotics and increase the stewardship of antibiotics to safeguard this key resource in modern healthcare. This paper provides the perspective of an international group of experts on the role of C-reactive protein point-of-care testing (CRP POCT) and other complementary strategies to improve antibiotic stewardship in primary care, with regards to the diagnosis and treatment of adult patients presenting symptoms of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). It provides guidance regarding the clinical assessment of symptoms in combination with C-reactive protein (CRP) results, at the point of care, to support the management decision, and discusses enhanced patient communication and delayed prescribing as complementary strategies to decrease the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Recommendation: CRP POCT should be promoted to improve the identification of adults presenting with symptoms of LRTIs in primary care who might gain additional benefit from antibiotic treatment. Appropriateness of antibiotic use can be maximized when CRP POCT is used together with complementary strategies such as enhanced communication skills training and delayed prescribing in addition to routine safety netting.
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Over the last years, the susceptibility activity of the most common microorganisms causing community-acquired infections has significantly changed in Spain. Based on the susceptibility rates of Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae collected from outpatients aged 15 or older with symptoms of respiratory or urinary tract infections in several Microbiology Departments in Catalonia in 2021, penicillin V should be first choice for most respiratory tract infections, amoxicillin and clavulanate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations and a single dose of fosfomycin or a short-course nitrofurantoin should remain first-line treatments for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Updated information on antimicrobial resistance for general practitioners is crucial for achieving appropriate empirical management of the most common infections by promoting more rational antibiotic use.
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Infecciones Comunitarias Adquiridas , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio , Infecciones Urinarias , Humanos , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , España , Infecciones Comunitarias Adquiridas/tratamiento farmacológico , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Infecciones del Sistema Respiratorio/tratamiento farmacológico , Escherichia coliRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To develop a set of quality indicators for the diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of adult patients with suspected urinary tract infections in general practice. DESIGN: A Research and Development/University of California Los Angeles appropriateness method was used. SETTING: Danish general practice. SUBJECTS: A panel of nine experts, mainly general practitioners, was asked to rate the relevance of 27 preliminary quality indicators. The set of indicators was based on the most recent Danish guidelines for the management of patients with suspected urinary tract infection. An online meeting was held to resolve misinterpretations and achieve consensus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The experts were asked to rate the indicators on a nine-point Likert scale. Consensus of appropriateness was reached if the overall panel median rating was 7-9 with agreement. Agreement was defined as: no more than one expert rated the indicator outside the three-point region (1-3, 4-6 and 7-9) containing the median. RESULTS: A total of 23 of the 27 proposed quality indicators attained consensus. One additional indicator was proposed by the panel of experts, leading to a final set of 24 quality indicators. All indicators focusing on the diagnostic process achieved consensus of appropriateness, while the experts agreed on three quarters of the proposed quality indicators concerning either the treatment decision or the choice of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: This set of quality indicators may be used to strengthen general practice's focus on the management of patients with a possible urinary tract infection and to identify potential quality problems.
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Medicina General , Infecciones Urinarias , Adulto , Humanos , Indicadores de Calidad de la Atención de Salud , Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria , Consenso , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Infecciones Urinarias/diagnóstico , Infecciones Urinarias/tratamiento farmacológicoRESUMEN
In the original publication [...].
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Background: Antibiotic overuse and misuse in primary care are common, highlighting the importance of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) efforts in this setting. Audit and feedback (A&F) interventions can improve professional practice and performance in some settings. Objectives and methods: To leverage the expertise from international members of the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance - Primary care Antibiotic Audit and feedback Network (JPIAMR-PAAN). Network members all have experience of designing and delivering A&F interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in primary care settings. We aim to introduce the network and explore ongoing A&F activities in member regions. An online survey was administered to all network members to collect regional information. Results: Fifteen respondents from 11 countries provided information on A&F activities in their country, and national/regional antibiotic stewardship programmes or policies. Most countries use electronic medical records as the primary data source, antibiotic appropriateness as the main outcome of feedback, and target GPs as the prescribers of interest. Funding sources varied across countries, which could influence the frequency and quality of A&F interventions. Nine out of 11 countries reported having a national antibiotic stewardship programme or policy, which aim to provide systematic support to ongoing AMS efforts and aid sustainability. Conclusions: The survey identified gaps and opportunities for AMS efforts that include A&F across member countries in Europe, Canada and Australia. JPIAMR-PAAN will continue to leverage its members to produce best practice resources and toolkits for antibiotic A&F interventions in primary care settings and identify research priorities.
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Rational antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI) is important. To improve the quality of antibiotic treatment of UTI, it is essential to obtain insight into diagnostic approaches and prescribing patterns in general practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of diagnostics and treatment of UTI in general practice by means of quality indicators (QIs). QIs provide a quantitative measure of quality and are defined by a numerator (the number of patients receiving a specific investigation or treatment) and a denominator (the number of patients included in the quality assessment). For adult patients with suspected UTI, practices registered the following: age, sex, risk factors, symptoms and signs, examinations, diagnosis and treatment. The levels of the QIs were compared with their corresponding standards. Half of the patients diagnosed with lower UTI or pyelonephritis fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for UTI: characteristic UTI symptoms and clear signs of bacteriuria, respectively. Urinalysis was performed for nearly all patients, including patients without characteristic symptoms of UTI. One-fourth of the patients with suspected lower UTI were treated with antibiotics despite no urinalysis and nearly half received antibiotics despite an inconclusive dipstick test. Pivmecillam was the preferred antibiotic. The findings of this study indicate that there is room for improvement in the management of UTI in Danish general practice.
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We investigated whether prior use of antibiotics affects the risk of mecillinam/trimethoprim/nitrofurantoin/multi-resistant Escherichia coli urinary tract infection (UTI) among elderly patients in general practice. Data on urine culture came from urine samples performed in general practice and sent to hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark, and prescription data came from a nationwide prescription database. The study population consisted of patients with UTI episodes (n = 41,027) caused by E. coli that received a concurrent antibiotic prescription against UTI from 2012 to 2017. We used a case-control design. Cases were UTI episodes caused by mecillinam, trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin or multi-resistant E. coli and controls were UTI episodes caused by E. coli not displaying the respective resistance pattern. We analyzed whether exposure to antibiotics in a period of 8-90 days prior to the UTI episode affected the risk of antibiotic resistant uropathogenic E coli. The analyses were adjusted for age, sex, hospital admission and nursing home status. The odds of resistance to all of the four antibiotics increased significantly after exposure to antibiotics within 90 days prior to the UTI episode. In general, mecillinam showed the lowest increase in the odds for selection of resistance. The results indicate that mecillinam is a favorable antibiotic choice in terms of selection of resistance.
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BACKGROUND: A doctor may recommend that a patient stop an antibiotic course before its scheduled completion time if further treatment may cause more harm than benefit. OBJECTIVES: This study explores general practitioners' (GP) opinions about the use of antibiotic deprescribing (AD) in general practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study answered from February to March 2022. GPs (n = 6,083) affiliated with the largest Spanish scientific society of primary care were invited to participate. The survey included two statements related to use and fourteen views about AD rated by GPs using a 5-item Likert scale. RESULTS: Eleven hundred and seven doctors completed the surveys (18.2%), of whom 92.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 90.8-94%) reported having used the AD strategy in their practice at least once. GPs felt very confident in using a deprescribing strategy in patients with common cold and influenza (97.6% and 93.5%, respectively) but less with acute bronchitis (45.5%); 12.1% (95% CI, 10.2-14.2%) considered this practice harmful to patients. Respondents reported using AD more frequently when they initiated the antibiotic course (96.8%; 95% CI, 95.5-97.7) than when the treatment was initiated by another doctor (52.3%; 95% CI, 49.3-55.3%). However, doctors aged >60 years were more prone to use AD compared with younger colleagues (64.5% vs. 50%; p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The GPs in this study employ the strategy of AD. Nonetheless, essential differences lie in their views of the way the strategy is used. Further studies are warranted to explore the beliefs behind these perceptions and promote wider use of AD by GPs.
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Deprescripciones , Médicos Generales , Humanos , Antibacterianos/efectos adversos , Estudios Transversales , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Atención Primaria de Salud , Actitud del Personal de SaludRESUMEN
AIMS: The development of effective interventions to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics in the elderly population requires knowledge on who can benefit from such interventions. Thus, we aimed to identify and characterise antibiotic heavy users among elderly patients in general practice with respect to sociodemographic variables. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective nationwide register-based study on all Danish elderly citizens (⩾65 years) who redeemed an antibiotic prescription in 2017. Heavy users were defined as the 10% with the highest excess use, that is, their recorded use minus the average use for their sex, age group and comorbidity level as estimated from a linear regression model. Comparative analyses of sociodemographic characteristics (civil status, employment status, urbanity, educational level and country of origin) of heavy users and non-heavy users were performed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 251,733 elderly individuals, who in total redeemed 573,265 prescriptions of antibiotics. Heavy users accounted for 68% of all excess use of antibiotics. In multivariable analyses, individuals with an educational level above basic schooling, non-retired, residing in an urban municipality and being born in a country outside Scandinavia all had lower odds of being a heavy user. Widowed, divorced or single individuals had higher odds of being a heavy user compared with married individuals. Relative importance analyses showed that civil status and educational level contributed considerably to the explained variance. CONCLUSIONS: This study found an association between sociodemographic characteristics and risk of being a heavy user, indicating that sociodemographic variation exists with regard to antibiotic prescribing.