Office-based pediatricians' knowledge and adherence to a consensus statement on the common cold

Aim. - To assess the impact on community-based pediatricians of the conclus ions of the 10th Conference de Consensus en Therapeutique Anti-Infectieuse (CCTAI) on the antibiotic treatment in acute nasopharyngitis (ANP). Methods. - Fifty-six pediatricians took part in the study Over a period of 15 days in October 1998, all the children (n = 997) presenting an ANP were prospectively included. The prescription of an antibiotic treatment as well as the clinical criteria authorizing it, according to the conclusions of t he 10th CCTAI, were recorded. The participants were not fold the purpose of the study Result, - Sixty percent of the pediatricians questioned were familiar with the 10th CCTAI. Forty-five percent said they complied with it, but only 7% stated it had changed their day-to-day clinical practice. Based on the conc lusions of the 10th CCTAI, an antibiotic treatment would have been discusse d for 38% of the children. Twenty-four percent of them were given one. For 54% of the children that were given an antibiotic, such treatment was disap proved by the 10th CCTAI. No significant association has been established b etween familiarity with the lath CCTAI and the following criteria: gender, age, hospital activity years of practice, medical journals read, and belief in the existence of a license for one or more antibiotics for ANP in child ren. However, this last criterion was significantly (P = 0.03) associated w ith an increase in the percentage of antibiotics prescribed: 29% vs 16%. Discussion and conclusion. - The 10th CCTAI has had a moderate impact on th e day-to-day practice of the pediatricians who took part in our study Sever al explanations are discussed. The authors emphasize the virtual lack of in dications of antibiotics in ANP. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medical es Elsevier SAS.