Healthcare providers awareness of protracted bacterial bronchitis in children in Ukraine

<bold>Background:</bold> Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is a common cause of chronic wet cough in children and may behave as a precursor to bronchiectasis if not timely diagnosed and treated. Our study aims to investigate the current diagnosis and treatment awareness of PBB among Ukrainian healthcare providers (HCPs). <bold>Methods:</bold> There was a cross-sectional study. An electronic questionnaire designed to assess the diagnosis and treatment of PBB was sent to HCPs across Ukraine. <bold>Results:</bold> A total of 196 HCPs completed the questionnaire. Most (60.7%) of the HCPs work at the primary level of healthcare, 18.4% at the secondary level, and 13.3% at the tertiary level. 51% of HCPs recognized PBB as a cause of chronic cough. 35.2% followed the microbiology-based definition of PBB. 43.4% diagnosed PBB due to the presence of a chronic wet cough, and 29.1% ruled out the other cause of cough. 33.2% of HCPs do not establish PBB as a primary diagnosis in children. Regarding treatment, 53.4% of the HCPs chose amoxicillin-clavulanate as the first-line antibiotic for PBB treatment, 21.8% of them chose amoxicillin, 10.9% and 10.4% used third-generation cephalosporins and macrolides, respectively. Most paediatricians (65.2%) reported a 2-week duration of antibiotic courses; 34.8% of them prescribed a shorter course. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The majority of Ukrainian HCPs diagnosed PBB in compliance with guidelines. However, awareness in diagnostic criteria and treatment options for PBB need to be improved.