Clinical management and outcomes of acute febrile illness in children attending a tertiary hospital in southern Ethiopia

Table 3 Antibacterial and antimalarial prescriptions and adherence with guidelines in febrile children attending HUCSH, 2018–2019

Prescriptions and adherence with guidelines	Antibacterial treatment n (%) N = 425	Antimalarial treatment n (%) N = 425
Total children prescribed	360 (84.7)	47 (11.1)
With indication and prescribed on initial management¹	319 (75.0)	14 (3.3)
Overprescribed on initial management²	36 (8.5)	30 (7.1)
Overprescribed among children without indication	36 (34.0)^a	30 (7.3)^b
Treated on follow-up³	5 (1.2)	-
Overprescribed on follow-up⁴	-	3 (0.7)
Total children not prescribed	65 (15.3)	378 (88.9)
Without indication and not prescribed ⁵	56 (13.2)	-
With indication and not prescribed ⁶	9 (2.1)	-

^a(N = 106), ^b(N = 411)
¹Prescribed on initial management as suggested by the national management guideline, irrespective of culture findings on follow-up
²Prescribed on initial management without enough clinical and/or initial laboratory indications according to the guideline and no pathogen was identified on culture as well
³Not prescribed on initial management (irrespective of initial indications) but treated after confirmation of bacterial infection on culture
⁴Prescribed to cases with persisting fever despite malaria negative result on follow-up
⁵Not prescribed on initial management as suggested by the guideline and no pathogen was identified on culture as well
⁶Not prescribed on initial management or follow-up at the hospital despite enough indications due to clinician discretion or lost to follow-up

ISSN: 1471-2334