Antibiotic Overuse in Pediatric Patients Hospitalized with RSV, COVID-19, and Influenza

Abstract Background Children hospitalized with viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are often treated with antibiotics due to concern for bacterial co-infection, although most do not have concurrent bacterial infections. This practice leads to unnecessary antibiotic treatment, which can lead to development of resistant bacteria and adverse events. The extent of antibiotic overuse in hospitalized children with community-onset viral RTI has not been well-quantified in recent years and may have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of this study were to quantify and compare the extent of antibiotic overtreatment and to determine predictors of antibiotic use post-COVID-19 pandemic in children hospitalized with RSV, COVID-19, and influenza. Methods We performed a single center retrospective study evaluating percentages of antibiotic use and bacterial co-infection among children and adolescents aged <19 years old, hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, or SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and May 2023. Bacterial infection was defined as growth of bacteria from any specimen source, including blood, urine, pleural fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and respiratory secretions, excluding common contaminants like coagulase-negative Staphylococci. Predictors of antibiotic treatment were determined using multivariable logistic regression. Results During the study period 1,718 patients were included (1022 with RSV, 188 with influenza, 535 with COVID-19). RSV patients were younger and more likely to be in the ICU than influenza or COVID-19 patients. The overall proportion of patients with culture-confirmed bacterial co-infection was low at 8% and did not differ greatly by virus type (8% for influenza, 6.9% for RSV, 10.3% for COVID-19, p=0.03). The proportion of children receiving antibiotics was higher for influenza than for other viruses (60.6% for influenza, 41.2% for RSV, and 48.6% for COVID-19, p < 0.001). Among patients with the lowest severity of illness (with normal inflammatory markers [PCT <0.5 ug/mL or CRP <50 mg/L] and not admitted to the ICU), 7.3% had a culture-confirmed bacterial infection while 48.1% received antibiotics. Independent predictors for receiving antibiotics were elevated inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein or procalcitonin), having >3 comorbidities, mechanical ventilation, and influenza diagnosis. Conclusion In children hospitalized with community-onset viral RTIs, antibiotic treatment is substantially higher than the burden of culture-confirmed bacterial infection, suggesting antibiotic overuse. Antibiotic use was greater for patients with influenza than for those with RSV or COVID-19. Antibiotic overuse was estimated to occur in over 40% of patients with low severity of illness. Stewardship programs can use this data to design interventions to promote more judicious antibiotic use. Figure 1. Rates of bacterial co-infection and antibiotic utilization among patients hospitalized with influenza, RSV, and COVID. Blue, percentage of patients who had a culture-confirmed bacterial infection; orange, percentage of patients who received any antibiotics; green, percentage of patients who received >3 days of antibiotics.