Non-Clinical Factors Determining the Prescription of Antibiotics by Veterinarians: A Systematic Review.

The misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and plants is related to the spread of resistant antibiotic strains among humans and animals. In this paper, we carry out a bibliographic search of Medline, Web of Knowledge, and Cab Abstracts with the main objective of ascertaining the available evidence on non-clinical factors and attitudes that could influence the prescription of antibiotics by veterinarians. A total of 34 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Whereas, veterinary health professionals' prescribing habits did not appear to be influenced by their socio-demographic characteristics, they were influenced by different attitudes, such as fear (identified in 19 out of 34 studies), self-confidence (19/34), business factors (19/34), and by complacency (16/34). Certain owner-related factors, such as lack of awareness (16/34) and demand for antibiotics (12/34), were also important, as were concurrent factors, ranging from a lack of appropriate regulations (10/34) to the expense and delays involved in performing culture and sensitivity tests (10/34) and inadequate farm hygiene (8/34). Our results appear to indicate that the non-clinical factors are potentially modifiable. This may be useful for designing interventions targeted at improving antibiotic use in animals, as part of an overall strategy to reduce the global spread of multi-resistant strains.

Utilidad de la vigilancia microbiológica del virus respiratorio sincitial en Galicia (España): 2008-2017 / Usefulness of the microbiological surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus in Galicia (Spain): 2008-2017

OBJETIVO: Describir si la información microbiológica del virus respiratorio sincitial (VRS) facilitada semanalmente por cuatro hospitales captura adecuadamente la estacionalidad del VRS en toda la comunidad. MÉTODO: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Se compararon las detecciones de VRS en muestras respiratorias de pacientes (ingresados y no), de todos los grupos de edad, de los cuatro hospitales que forman parte del sistema de vigilancia microbiológica (SVM), con datos del Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos de hospitalización por bronquiolitis causada por VRS u otro microorganismo infeccioso, en pacientes menores de 5 años ingresados en cualquier hospital público de Galicia (temporadas 2008/2009 a 2016/2017). Se consideró como periodo de onda epidémica cuando la positividad de detecciones de VRS en el total de muestras respiratorias del SVM superó el 10%. Se calculó la sensibilidad del SVM como el porcentaje de ingresos ocurridos en la onda epidémica. RESULTADOS: La sensibilidad del SVM fue del 92% (86-96%) para los ingresos por bronquiolitis por VRS en cada temporada y del 79% (75-84%) para los ingresos por bronquiolitis totales. CONCLUSIONES: El SVM del VRS, basado en información de solo cuatro hospitales, mostró muy buena sensibilidad para predecir el inicio y el final de la onda anual de VRS en toda la comunidad autónoma. Estos resultados respaldan la utilización de esta información para alertar a todo el sistema sanitario del inicio de la onda

OBJECTIVE: To describe whether the microbiological information of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), provided by four hospitals on a weekly basis, adequately captures the seasonality of the RSV in the entire community. METHOD: Retrospective descriptive study. We compared the detection of RSV in respiratory samples of patients (hospitalized and not) from all age groups, from the 4 hospitals that are part of the microbiological surveillance system (MSS), with data from the Minimum Basic Data Set of hospitalization for bronchiolitis by RSV or another infectious organism, in patients under 5 years of age, admitted to any public hospital in Galicia (seasons 2008/2009 to 2016/2017). An epidemic wave period was considered when the positivity of RSV detections in the total respiratory samples of the SVM exceeded 10%. The sensitivity of the MSS was calculated as a percentage of admissions occurring in the epidemic wave. RESULTS: MSS sensitivity was 92% (86%-96%) for RSV bronchiolitis admissions in each season and 79% (75%-84%) for total bronchiolitis admissions. CONCLUSIONS: The RSV microbiological surveillance system, based on data from only 4 hospitals, showed very good sensitivity to predict the start and end of the annual RSV wave throughout the Galician region. These results support the use of this information to alert the entire health system of the onset of the wave

[Usefulness of the microbiological surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus in Galicia (Spain): 2008-2017]. / Utilidad de la vigilancia microbiológica del virus respiratorio sincitial en Galicia (España): 2008-2017.

OBJECTIVE: To describe whether the microbiological information of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), provided by four hospitals on a weekly basis, adequately captures the seasonality of the RSV in the entire community. METHOD: Retrospective descriptive study. We compared the detection of RSV in respiratory samples of patients (hospitalized and not) from all age groups, from the 4 hospitals that are part of the microbiological surveillance system (MSS), with data from the Minimum Basic Data Set of hospitalization for bronchiolitis by RSV or another infectious organism, in patients under 5 years of age, admitted to any public hospital in Galicia (seasons 2008/2009 to 2016/2017). An epidemic wave period was considered when the positivity of RSV detections in the total respiratory samples of the SVM exceeded 10%. The sensitivity of the MSS was calculated as a percentage of admissions occurring in the epidemic wave. RESULTS: MSS sensitivity was 92% (86%-96%) for RSV bronchiolitis admissions in each season and 79% (75%-84%) for total bronchiolitis admissions. CONCLUSIONS: The RSV microbiological surveillance system, based on data from only 4 hospitals, showed very good sensitivity to predict the start and end of the annual RSV wave throughout the Galician region. These results support the use of this information to alert the entire health system of the onset of the wave.

Determinants of antibiotic dispensing without prescription: a systematic review.

Background: Some of the inappropriate use of antibiotics is related to the dispensing of antibiotics without a medical prescription. Objectives: To identify the intrinsic factors (socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes) and extrinsic factors (patient-related factors and health-system-related factors) related to the dispensing or selling of antibiotics without a medical prescription (DAwMP) by workers at retail pharmacies, when this should be done by prescription according to the legislation in force in each country. Methods: We conducted a search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, with studies being required to meet the following inclusion criteria: (i) they were published in English or Spanish; (ii) the designated study objective was to explore factors linked to dispensing without prescription; (iii) the study population was defined as pharmacy workers. Results: Thirty-three papers were included. While pharmacy workers' socio-demographic characteristics had no influence on dispensing without prescription (only 2/9 of the quantitative studies that statistically evaluated gender showed a relationship, 2/7 with respect to age and 0/3 with respect to professional status), training (5/8), knowledge and attitudes did however prove significant (12/13). In the case of qualitative or mixed studies, patient-related factors [lack of knowledge (7/13), high demand (9/13), self-medication (6/13) and low socio-economic status (5/13)] and health-system-related factors [lack of rigour in antibiotic policies (7/13) and pressure from pharmacy owners (5/13)] are mentioned in relation to dispensing without a prescription. Conclusions: The results of this review appear to indicate that factors associated with dispensing without prescription are all modifiable. This may be of use when it comes to designing interventions aimed at curtailing this practice and thereby reducing antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance levels worldwide.