title: Antibiotic prescription patterns of South African general medical practitioners for treatment of acute bronchitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health problem. Prudent use of antibiotics is crucial in reducing this resistance. Acute bronchitis is a common reason for consultations with general medical practitioners, and antibiotics are often prescribed even though guidelines recommend not prescribing them for uncomplicated acute bronchitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the antibiotic prescription patterns of South African (SA) general medical practitioners in the treatment of acute bronchitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2013 claims for members of 11 health insurance schemes were analysed to assess antibiotic prescription patterns for patients diagnosed with acute bronchitis. The patterns were assessed by type of bronchitis, chronic health status of the patients, sex and age group. The types of antibiotic prescribed were also analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 166 821 events analysed, an antibiotic was prescribed in more than half (52.9%). There were significant differences by type of bronchitis and chronic health status. Patients with viral bronchitis were more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic than those with bacterial bronchitis (odds ratio (OR) 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08 - 1.26). Patients with a chronic illness were less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic than those without (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.57 - 0.60). More than 70% of the antibiotics prescribed were cephalosporins, penicillins and other beta-lactams.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prescription rates of antibiotics for acute bronchitis by SA general medical practitioners are high. There is an urgent need to follow the guidelines for antibiotic use for acute bronchitis to reduce the likelihood of increasing resistance to available antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. nncube@uwc.ac.za.
authors.forename: N B Q
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Ncube
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Solanki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kredo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalloo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013019:South Africa; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents