Most antibiotic use occurs in ambulatory settings. No benchmarks exist for pediatric institutions to assess their outpatient antibiotic use and compare prescribing rates to peers. We aimed to share pediatric outpatient antibiotic use reports and benchmarking metrics nationally. We invited institutions from the Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship OutPatient (SHARPS-OP) Collaborative to contribute quarterly aggregate reports on antibiotic use from January 2019 through June 2022. Outpatient settings included emergency departments (ED), urgent care centers (UCC), primary care clinics (PCC) and telehealth encounters. Benchmarking metrics included the percentage of 1) all acute encounters resulting in antibiotic prescriptions; 2) acute respiratory infection (ARI) encounters resulting in antibiotic prescriptions; and among ARI encounters receiving antibiotics, 3) the percentage receiving amoxicillin (“Amoxicillin index”); and 4) the percentage receiving azithromycin (“Azithromycin index”). We collected rates of antibiotic prescriptions with durations ≤7 days and >10 days from institutions able to provide validated duration data. Twenty-one institutions submitted aggregate reports. Percent ARI encounters receiving antibiotics were highest in the UCC (40.2%), and lowest in telehealth (19.1%). Amoxicillin index was highest for the ED (76.2%), and lowest for telehealth (55.8%), while azithromycin index was similar for ED, UCC and PCC (3.8%, 3.7% and 5.0% respectively). Antibiotic duration of ≤7 days varied substantially (46.4% for ED, 27.8% UCC, 23.7% telehealth, 16.4% PCC). We developed a benchmarking platform for key pediatric outpatient antibiotic use metrics drawing data from multiple pediatric institutions nationally. These data may serve as a baseline measurement for future improvement work.

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of mandatory antimicrobial indications and durations (MAID) and a pharmacist-driven 48-hour time-out in a pediatric hospital. MAID and a 48-hour time-out were implemented on February 14, 2017. Antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient days were compared between the pre- and postperiod for select antibiotics using unadjusted Poisson models. A prepost comparison was used to compare antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) intervention rates between time periods. A 2-step process, including distribution of a discontinuation (DC) report to pharmacists and ASP-prompted reorders, was instituted to reduce unintentional antimicrobial discontinuation with MAID. ASP-prompted reorders occurred only when a discrepancy persisted between the order and provider-desired duration. Missed antimicrobial doses were identified by ASP and the institutional event reporting system. Safety of MAID was assessed by reviewing the rate and details of ASP-prompted reorders and missed antimicrobial doses. A significant decrease in DOT per 1,000 patient days was observed for cefazolin (39.7 to 36.9; P < 0.001), ampicillin (39.9 to 35.7; P < 0.001), clindamycin (38.2 to 35.9; P < 0.001), ceftriaxone (46.5 to 43.4; P < 0.001), and meropenem (8.7 to 6.6; P < 0.001) following implementation. No change in ASP intervention rate occurred between the pre- and postperiod (16.9 vs 16.8%; P = 0.94). With MAID, ASP-prompted reorder occurred on 7.3% of orders. Unintentional discontinuations resulting in missed antimicrobial doses occurred in 3 orders (0.07%); no patient harm resulted. MAID and a 48-hour time-out significantly reduced DOT of select antibiotics. No patient harm occurred with the 2-step safety process.

Objective: To investigate differences in the rate of firstline antibiotic prescribing for common pediatric infections in relation to different socioeconomic statuses and the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in pediatric urgent-care clinics (PUCs).Design: Quasi-experimental.Setting: Three PUCs within a Midwestern pediatric academic center.Patients and participants: Patients aged >60 days and <18 years with acute otitis media, group A streptococcal pharyngitis, community-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infection, or skin and soft-tissue infections who received systemic antibiotics between July 2017 and December 2020. We excluded patients who were transferred, admitted, or had a concomitant diagnosis requiring systemic antibiotics.Intervention: We used national guidelines to determine the appropriateness of antibiotic choice in 2 periods: prior to (July 2017–July 2018) and following ASP implementation (August 2018–December 2020). We used multivariable regression analysis to determine the odds ratios of appropriate firstline agent by age, sex, race and ethnicity, language, and insurance type.Results: The study included 34,603 encounters. Prior to ASP implementation in August 2018, female patients, Black non-Hispanic children, those >2 years of age, and those who self-paid had higher odds of receiving recommended firstline antibiotics for all diagnoses compared to male patients, children of other races and ethnicities, other ages, and other insurance types, respectively. Although improvements in prescribing occurred after implementation of our ASP, the difference within the socioeconomic subsets persisted.Conclusions: We observed socioeconomic differences in firstline antibiotic prescribing for common pediatric infections in the PUCs setting despite implementation of an ASP. Antimicrobial stewardship leaders should consider drivers of these differences when developing improvement initiatives.

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, with children at higher risk due to developmental differences in drug metabolism, limited treatment options and inappropriate antibiotic use. Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) face implementation challenges, often relying on adult-based guidelines and limited pediatric-specific evidence. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the most critical areas for pediatric ASP intervention development through a structured, multi-round Delphi consensus process with experts in antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases. Method: A four-round modified Delphi process was conducted to identify and prioritize key pediatric ASP interventions. Experts in antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases were recruited through an existing clinical trial. Using an iterative survey and in-person discussions, experts provided input on priority areas, which were thematically grouped and refined across rounds. Structured feedback supported real-time refinement and consensus-building. Results: Twenty experts participated in the process, generating 25 priority items in Round 1 through open-ended responses. These were narrowed to seven key priorities through structured voting and discussion. The final items were clustered into three intersecting themes: Care Settings, Prescriptions, and Strategies. Care Settings focused on high-impact areas such as outpatient clinics and intensive care units, where misuse is common and/or care is complex. The prescriptions theme prioritized shorter durations and narrow-spectrum agents. The strategy theme highlighted the need for outcome-based metrics, improved diagnostic stewardship, and routine tracking of patient outcomes to guide and assess stewardship efforts. Conclusions: This expert consensus identified key priorities for pediatric ASPs, providing a foundation for future interventions. Findings can be used to inform policy and practice, improving the appropriate use of antimicrobials in pediatrics and combating AMR.

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