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Special Issue Editor

Dr. André Ricardo Araujo Da Silva

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Guest Editor

Departamento de Materno Infantil (MMI), Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: antimicrobial stewardship; Gram-negative infections; paediatric COVID-19; infection control in paediatrics; multirresistant infections; infection in paediatric intensive care units

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobials, particularly antibiotics, are commonly prescribed to children around the world. In recent years, antibiotic resistance has increased in several countries due to a lack of new therapeutic options and indiscriminate/incorrect use. Several aspects could influence the better antimicrobials to use such as: the insertion of matter in the medical course, using attractive methodologies of teaching; antimicrobial stewardship programs with audit and feedback, pre-authorization forms, lists of restricts antibiotics prescribed only after discussion with infectious disease specialists, automatized programs for interruption of treatments and formal guidelines; dissemination of successful experiences to reduce incorrect use; involvement of public authorities and society at all. In this Special Issue, we discuss the main aspects of management and use of pediatric antimicrobials with an aim to understand why is so important to improve rational use in this population.

Dr. André Ricardo Araujo Da Silva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

children
antimicrobials
antibiotics
antimicrobial stewardship
antibiotic resistance
guidelines

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Adherence to Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Guidelines for Gentamicin in Neonatal Care: A Retrospective Study at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Makkah

by Abdullah Najeh Bajaber, Mahmoud Elrggal, Wajdi F. Organji, Mohammad Adil Sulaimani, Raed Mohammed Refai, Ashraf Alsaedi, Salwa Hashim Alzamzami, Fatimah Bakor Hawsawi, Saud Tanadhub Alnefaie, Azhar Ali Alsulaimani, Adnan Alharbi, Mohammed Alnuhait, Abdullah S. Alshammari, Abdu Aldarhami and Sharaf E. Sharaf

Children 2024, 11(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11010100 - 15 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1058

Abstract

In this study, we assess healthcare providers’ adherence to therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) guidelines for gentamicin in neonates. Conducted at the Maternity and Children’s Hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from July 2020 to July 2022, it retrospectively analyzed the compliance of healthcare workers in managing neonates treated with gentamicin. Covering 410 neonates, primarily diagnosed with respiratory distress (56%) and sepsis (32%), the study revealed that while a majority of trough and peak levels conformed to guidelines, substantial deviations were noted in cases of respiratory distress. This underlines the necessity for targeted TDM strategies, particularly in managing respiratory distress in neonates, to ensure optimal treatment efficacy and safety. The findings urge stringent compliance with TDM guidelines, emphasizing personalized approaches in neonatal gentamicin therapy for improved healthcare outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Management and Use of Pediatric Antimicrobials)

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Other

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10 pages, 547 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Multiplex PCR and Antibiotic Use in Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

by Teresa del Rosal, Patricia Bote-Gascón, Iker Falces-Romero, Talía Sainz, Fernando Baquero-Artigao, Paula Rodríguez-Molino, Ana Méndez-Echevarría, Blanca Bravo-Queipo-de-Llano, Luis A. Alonso and Cristina Calvo

Children 2024, 11(2), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020245 - 15 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1080

Abstract

Antibiotics are frequently prescribed to children with pneumonia, although viruses are responsible for most cases. We aimed to evaluate the impact of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) on antibiotic use. We conducted a prospective study of children under 14 years of age admitted for suspected viral pneumonia, from October 2019 to June 2022 (except March–November 2020). A mPCR respiratory panel (FilmArray^® 2plus, bioMérieux, Marcy-l’Étoile, France) was performed within 72 h of admission. Patients with positive reverse transcription PCR for respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, or SARS-CoV-2 were excluded. We compared the patients with historical controls (2017–2018) who had suspected viral pneumonia but did not undergo an aetiological study. We included 64 patients and 50 controls, with a median age of 26 months. The respiratory panel detected viral pathogens in 55 patients (88%), including 17 (31%) with co-infections. Rhinovirus/enterovirus (n = 26) and human metapneumovirus (n = 22) were the most common pathogens, followed by adenovirus and parainfluenza (n = 10). There were no statistically significant differences in the total antibiotic consumption (83% of cases and 86% of controls) or antibiotics given for ≥72 h (58% vs. 66%). Antibiotics were prescribed in 41% of the cases and 72% of the controls at discharge (p = 0.001). Ampicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic among the patients (44% vs. 18% for controls, p = 0.004), while azithromycin was the most commonly prescribed among the controls (19% vs. 48% for patients and controls, respectively; p = 0.001). Our findings underscore the need for additional interventions alongside molecular diagnosis to reduce antibiotic usage in paediatric community-acquired pneumonia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Management and Use of Pediatric Antimicrobials)

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