A population-based study of antibiotic prescriptions for Danish children

Background. The aim of the study was to examine the use of systemic and top ical antibiotics in relation to age and sex in Danish children. Methods. We used the Pharmacoepidemiological Prescription Database to ident ify the individual prescriptions of antibiotics provided for all Oto 15-yea r-old children in North Jutland County, Denmark, during 1997, The populatio n was similar to 95 000 children. Results. We identified 44 640 prescriptions for systemic antibiotics. The a nnual prescription rate was highest in the 1- to a-year-olds, with 945 pres criptions/1000 children/year, One-half of these children received at least 1 prescription, and 12% received 3 or more prescriptions. Among the 11- to 15-year-old children 17% received one or more prescriptions, Overall 88% of the prescriptions were penicillins and 10% were macrolides, In children yo unger than 3 years 57% of prescriptions were for broad spectrum penicillins , but in children older than 6 years penicillin V was the most frequently u sed antibiotic. We identified 12 661 prescriptions for topical antibiotics used in eye infections, The prescription rate peaked in the 1 to 2-year-old children, one third of whom received at least 1 prescription. Conclusions. Almost two-thirds of the 0- to 2-year-old children in the popu lation were treated with either systemic or topical antibiotics during 1 ye ar. Physicians prescribe mostly penicillins, but the proportion of broad sp ectrum penicillins for young children was so high, however, that enforcemen t of national guidelines should be reconsidered.