Antibiotic prophylaxis for childhood XXXX : a national survey.

@entity1 @entity409 @entity3025 @entity2885 @entity293
AIMS: To describe attitudes of paediatricians and paediatric nephrologists regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for @entity293 ( @entity293 ) and determine the factors associated with its use. METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to Canadian paediatricians (1136) and paediatric nephrologists (42). RESULTS: The response rate was 58.1% (684 physicians); 436 who had made a decision about antibiotic prophylaxis for childhood @entity293 in the previous year were included in the analysis. Of these, 407 (93.3%) were certified in paediatrics and 29 (6.7%) were paediatric nephrologists. Most respondents prescribed prophylaxis for @entity1 with grade III-V @entity3025 ( @entity3025 ) (96.5%-98%); 69.8 and 92.8% prescribed it for @entity1 with grades I and II @entity3025 , respectively. Factors significantly associated with use of prophylaxis for @entity1 with grade I @entity3025 were frequency of decision-making about prophylaxis, city size and province. Fifteen percent of physicians felt that their practice regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for @entity1 with @entity3025 was evidence based. A hundred one respondents (24.3%) prescribed prophylaxis for @entity1 with a first febrile @entity293 in the absence of @entity3025 . Nineteen percent felt that their practice regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for these @entity1 was evidence based. Prescription of prophylaxis for @entity1 >12 months with recurrent @entity293 in the absence of @entity3025 was influenced by frequency of @entity2885 (88.5% of respondents) and presence of @entity409 (53.8%). Nine percent of physicians felt that their practice for these @entity1 was evidence based. CONCLUSION: Opinions of Canadian paediatricians and paediatric nephrologists regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for @entity293 in @entity1 vary widely, probably because of the paucity of solid evidence about prophylaxis.
