Dear Colleagues,

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in pediatric populations are among the general reasons for hospitalizations and are linked to significant morbidity and mortality. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, nearly two million children less than 5 years of age die annually due to lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Around 70%–80% of RTIs are caused by viruses (respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, influenza virus, adenovirus, and metapneumovirus) and encapsulated bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis). Some other causative organisms like fungi, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and anaerobic bacteria have also been implicated. In the lower airways, it is rather cumbersome to identify the causative microorganisms. A constellation of symptoms in children make the diagnosis of upper or lower respiratory tract infection somewhat difficult, but cough and wheeze are attributed to lower respiratory tract infections. Regarding the management of RTIs, this depends upon the severity and frequency of symptoms as some may require respiratory support and therapies like intravenous antibiotics and fluid. The decision of giving antibiotics regarding “when to prescribe”, “what to prescribe”, or “not to prescribe” warrants careful attention given due consideration of the frequently emerging and progressing antibiotic resistance phenomenon. Likewise, following antibiotic guidelines (AGs) is a measure of providing quality care by using evidence when appropriate. Still, the gap is evident between the suggested treatment and clinical practice. The current Special Issue invites research which attempts to explore the antibiotic prescribing practices in LRTIs in the highly vulnerable population of pediatrics and research which analyzes the adherence of prescribers towards antibiotic guidelines (AGs). Original research, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and short communications are welcome.

Dr. Márió Gajdács
Dr. Shazia Jamshed
Dr. Isha Patel
Guest Editors

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.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 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.

• Paediatrics
• Lower respiratory tract infections
• Antibiotic guidelines
• Epidemiology