JOURNAL ARTICLE

Evaluating pediatric antimicrobial dosing of β-lactam antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections in emergency and primary care settings.

  • Published In: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 2025, v. 82. P. S2908 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Blower, Noah; Draper, Heather M; McAlpine, Tara; Dumkow, Lisa E 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on evaluating outpatient pediatric β-lactam suspension dosing practices for upper respiratory tract infections (URIs), specifically streptococcal pharyngitis and otitis media, within a community health system. The retrospective cohort study found that 32% of prescribed doses were discordant with best-practice guidelines, with overdosing common in pharyngitis (especially in patients over 20 kg) and underdosing prevalent in otitis media cases. Errors occurred similarly across emergency department and family medicine prescribers, highlighting a need for antimicrobial stewardship interventions at the point of prescribing, including electronic health record (EHR) optimization and pharmacist review, to improve safe dosing practices in pediatric outpatient care.

Additional Information

  • Source:American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2025/03, Vol. 82, pS2908
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Consumer Health
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1079-2082
  • DOI:10.1093/ajhp/zxae343
  • Accession Number:183284724
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.