title: Antibiotic Prescription Practices of Pediatricians and Pediatric Residents in Hospital Care in Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The administration of antibiotics for the treatment of pediatric illnesses is common, reaching one third of pediatric patients. This paper aims to identify the antibiotic prescription practices of pediatricians and to explore the associations between prescribing practices and a series of socio-demographic and professional determinants in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals providing secondary and tertiary pediatric care from January to July 2012. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and tested in a pilot study, focusing on respondents' characteristics, their practices and attitudes related to prescribing antibiotics in common childhood diseases, diagnostic uncertainty, and parental demand. Multivariate regression analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 275 physicians responded to the questionnaire (61% response rate). The majority of the physicians prescribed antibiotics empirically in possible group A streptococcus infections (56.9%) and implemented the "watchful waiting" approach in acute otitis media (65.5%); further, they did not feel diagnostic uncertainty (74%) and were not affected by parental demand (81%). Finally, when prescribing, they did not take into consideration the drug cost (64.4%). Gender, physicians' experience, and the type of hospital (specialized or general hospital) were identified as prognostic factors of prescribing practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings could provide decision-makers with insights into how to manage physicians' prescription practices in order to reduce the high rates of antibiotic consumption that Greece is facing nowadays.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geitona
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toska
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Souliotis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saridi
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Educational Policy, School of Social Sciences, University of Peloponnese, Corinth 20100, Greece. ktoska07@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demetzos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000639:trends*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000639:trends*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000639:trends*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents