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Review
. 2023 Jun 22;12(7):1092.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12071092.

Antibiotic Use for Common Infections in Pediatric Emergency Departments: A Narrative Review

Affiliations
Review

Antibiotic Use for Common Infections in Pediatric Emergency Departments: A Narrative Review

Spyridon Karageorgos et al. Antibiotics (Basel). .

Abstract

Antibiotics are one of the most prescribed medications in pediatric emergency departments. Antimicrobial stewardship programs assist in the reduction of antibiotic use in pediatric patients. However, the establishment of antimicrobial stewardship programs in pediatric EDs remains challenging. Recent studies provide evidence that common infectious diseases treated in the pediatric ED, including acute otitis media, tonsillitis, community-acquired pneumonia, preseptal cellulitis, and urinary-tract infections, can be treated with shorter antibiotic courses. Moreover, there is still controversy regarding the actual need for antibiotic treatment and the optimal dosing scheme for each infection.

Keywords: antibiotics; antimicrobial stewardship; pediatric emergency department.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Questions for Pediatric ED physicians.

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