Antibiotic Prescribing for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections and Community-Acquired Pneumonia: An Italian Pediatric Emergency Department’s Real-Life Experience

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are among the most frequent reasons for referrals to the pediatric emergency department (PED). The aim of this study is to describe the management of antibiotic prescription in febrile children with LRTI or CAP admitted to a third-level PED and to investigate the different variables that can guide physicians in this decision-making. Methods: This is an observational, retrospective, monocentric study including patients < 14 years old who were presented to the PED for a febrile LRTI or CAP during the first six months of the year 2017. Demographic and clinical data, PED examinations, recommended therapy, and discharge modality were considered. Two multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on patients with complete profiles to investigate the impact of demographic, laboratory, and clinical variables on antibiotic prescription and hospital admission. Results: This study included 584 patients with LRTI (n = 368) or CAP (n = 216). One hundred and sixty-eight individuals (28.7%) were admitted to the hospital. Lower age, higher heart rate, and lower SpO2 were associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. Antibiotics were prescribed to 495 (84.8%) patients. According to the multivariate logistic regression, the diagnosis and duration of fever were substantially linked with antibiotic prescription. Conclusions: The present study reports real-life data about our PED experience. A high rate of antibiotic prescription was noted. In the future, it is necessary to improve antibiotic stewardship programs to increase clinical adherence to guidelines.