title: British Thoracic Society Paediatric Pneumonia Audit: a review of 3 years of data.
abstract: The British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia in children are used as the audit standard for the annual BTS Paediatric Pneumonia Audit. This report examines 3 years of data from this national audit, highlighting trends in clinical practice and the impact of the 2011 revisions to the BTS guidelines. The findings suggest an over-reliance on investigations to diagnose pneumonia and underuse of oral antibiotics, particularly amoxicillin. There is inappropriate use of chest physiotherapy, outpatient appointments and repeat chest x-rays. Increasing adherence to the BTS guidelines would improve care and also preserve valuable secondary care resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Oxford Children's Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah-Jane M
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: Anne H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D054869:Clinical Audit; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine; D012955:Societies, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Pneumonia