[Analysis of antibiotic consumption in the pediatric population of Castile and León (Spain) from 2001 to 2005].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze trends in antibiotic use among the pediatric population of Castile and León from 2001 to 2005.


METHODS
The antibiotics prescribed to the pediatric population in primary care were processed using the CONCYLIA database. The technical unit of measurement was the defined daily dose (DDD) and the comparative indicator used was the DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day (DID).


RESULTS
Overall consumption was high (21.21 DID). Throughout the 5 years of the study we observed substantial variations, especially in 2005, the year in which consumption was highest (25.05 DID). The therapeutic subgroups most frequently prescribed were wide-spectrum penicillins (8.08 DID) and penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors (7.29 DID), followed by cephalosporins (2.81 DHD) and macrolides (2.52 DHD). The percentage of wide-spectrum penicillin prescription was higher than that of penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors between 2001 and 2002. These percentages were similar in 2003, and the percentage of wide-spectrum penicillin prescription was lower than that of penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors in the last 2 years of the study.


CONCLUSIONS
Marked differences in consumption were observed over the study period. Changes in patterns of use were found, with an increase in the use of penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors in the last 2 years of the study.
Vázquez Fernández
M E
ME
Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Facultad de Medicina y Area Este de SACYL, Valladolid, España.
Luquero Alcalde
F J
FJ
Pastor García
E
E
Bachiller Luque
M R
MR
Vázquez Fernández
M J
MJ
Eiros Bouza
J M
JM
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D013030:Spain
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents