Naslov
Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics to healthy/asymptomatic school-age carriers of potentially pathogenic bacteria
(Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics to healthy/asymptomatic school-age carriers of potentially pathogenic bacteria)

Autori
Kostić, Mirjana ; Bedeković, Vladimir ; Bastijančić- Kokić, Biserka ; Lauc, Tomislav

Izvornik
Saudi medical journal (0379-5284) 40 (2019), 4; 405-408

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
anti-bacterial agents ; carrier state ; child

Sažetak
Objectives: To re-draw attention to the unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics. Methods: We monitored nasopharyngeal colonization by 3 potentially pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b in 81 children between the ages of 6 and 7 years who attended the same primary school. The children's health status was also monitored, without using antimicrobial treatment for healthy/asymptomatic carriers. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected on 6 occasions during autumn months, from mid-September to mid-December 2016. The children who fell ill during the study were treated at the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Sisters of Mercy University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia. Results: Four hundred and sixty-three nasopharyngeal swabs were collected. Each child had at least one positive swab result. Bacterial colonization with Streptococcus pyogenes had the highest colonization rate. During the study, 83% of the children were healthy/asymptomatic carriers with no clinical signs of disease, while 17% became ill. The statistical results showed that the increase in all examined bacteria was statistically significant. Conclusions: Our study results showed that positive bacterial findings in nasopharyngeal swabs from clinically healthy carriers were not an indication for antibiotic therapy.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

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