[Antibiotic prescribing in respiratory tract infections and predictive factors for their use].
OBJECTIVE
Happy Audit project is a European-funded survey aimed at reducing antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTI). The aim of this study is to investigate the antibiotic treatment administered for these RTIs in Spain and to find out which criteria are associated with its use.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study carried out in January and February 2008.


METHODS
Primary health care.


METHODS
General practitioners registered all the RTI during a 3-week period using a template.


METHODS
Age and gender, days with symptoms, signs presented (fever, cough, purulent ear discharge, sore throat, tonsillar exudate, swollen neck glands, dyspnoea, increase in sputum, purulent sputum), diagnosis, antibiotic therapy and demand of antibiotics. A logistic regression with the prescription of antibiotic as the dependent variable was performed.


RESULTS
Out of the 332 physicians invited to participate, 309 filled in and returned the templates (93.1%), registering 16,751 RTIs, with the common cold (39.7%), pharyngitis (14.4%) and acute bronchitis (12.6%) being the most common. Antibiotic therapy was given to 4,675 RTIs (27.9%), mainly for pneumonia (89.9%), tonsillitis (88.9%), and otitis media (87.3%). The criterion most associated with antibiotic therapy was the presence of tonsillar exudate (OR: 32.1; 95CI%: 24.5-42), followed by ear discharge (25.2; 95%CI: 18.2-35) and purulence of sputum (18.1; 95%CI: 15.5-21.2); conversely, cough (OR: 0.4; 95%CI: 0.3-0.5) was considered as protective factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Antibiotic treatment for RTIs is very high in our country. This study provides information on the criteria that predict this antibiotic therapy and is important to take into account if a more rational use of antibiotics is required.
Llor
Carles
C
Centro de Salud Jaume I, Tarragona, Spain. carles.llor@urv.cat
Cots
Josep María
JM
Bjerrum
Lars
L
Cid
Marina
M
Guerra
Gloria
G
Arranz
Xavier
X
Gómez
Manuel
M
Monedero
María José
MJ
Alcántara
Juan de Dios
Jde D
Pérez
Carolina
C
García
Guillermo
G
Ortega
Jesús
J
Cigüenza
María Luisa
ML
Pineda
Vicenta
V
Paredes
José
J
Burgazzoli
Juan Luis
JL
Hernández
Silvia
S
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents