Korean J Clin Pharm.  2016 Jun;26(2):115-120. 10.0000/kjcp.2016.26.2.115.

Evaluation of Azithromycin Prescriptions for Pediatric Patients

• Oh EK
• Rhew KY

• KMID: 2358063
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.0000/kjcp.2016.26.2.115

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Azithromycin has broad spectrum and is effective to treat several bacterial respiratory tract infection. It is also relatively safe and tolerable to pediatric patient. Careful use of azithromycin is also required for the prescribers because it could cause cardiovascular toxicity (QTc prolongation) and ototoxicity. There has been no study on duration of azithromycin use in pediatric patients in Korea.
METHODS
The outpatient sample data on the azithromycin prescription was obtained from Korean health insurance review and assessment service. The characteristics of azithromycin prescription were analyzed with two different years (2011 and 2014).
RESULTS
Total 4,215 cases were analyzed. The azithromycin was prescribed the most frequently in the children (73.2% in 2011 and 62.5% in 2014) and for the condition of bronchopneumonia (28.7% in 2011 and 21.7% in 2014) in both years. The duration of prescribed for azithromycin has significantly different between 2011 and 2014. In 2014, 94.3% of prescription were indicated less than 5 days, but 86.6% were in 2011. Acute bronchiolitis and bronchopneumonia prescriptions more longer duration of treatment compared with acute bronchitis and others.
CONCLUSION
The pattern of prescribing azithromycin has been changed for the treatment of several infectious diseases in pediatric patients. The rate of appropriate duration of azithromycin treatment has increased.

Keyword

Azithromycin; pediatrics; health care surveys; duration of treatment; safety

MeSH Terms

Azithromycin*
Bronchiolitis
Bronchitis
Bronchopneumonia
Child
Communicable Diseases
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Insurance, Health
Korea
Outpatients
Pediatrics
Prescriptions*
Respiratory Tract Infections
Azithromycin