Antibiotic prescriptions to adults with acute respiratory tract infections by Italian general practitioners

Figures & data

Figure 1 Antibiotic prescriptions analyzed according to indication for specific RTIs.

Abbreviation: RTI, respiratory tract infection.

Table 1 Number and type of antibiotics prescribed by the GPs according to RTIs

Pattern of antibiotic prescription	Total n= 1,979 (%)	Pharyngitis n= 1,196 (%)	Acute bronchitis n=359 (%)	Influenza n=234(%)	Sinusitis n=l90 (%)
Episodes with antibiotic prescribing^a	1,332 (67.3)	867 (72.5)	264 (73.5)	65 (27.8)	136 (71.6)
Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid	414 (31.1)	313 (36.1)	36 (13.6)	37 (56.9)	28 (20.6)
cephalosporins	106 (7.9)	43 (4.9)	54 (20.4)	2 (3.1)	7 (5.1)
Phenicols	84 (6.3)	35 (4.1)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	49 (36.l)
Fluoroquinolones	189 (14.2)	20 (2.3)	140 (53.1)	9 (13.8)	20 (14.7)
Fusafungine	21 (1.6)	14 (1.6)	0 (0.0)	2 (3.1)	5 (3.7)
Macrolides	433 (32.5)	380 (43.8)	23 (8.7)	7 (10.8)	23 (16.9)
Penicillins	51 (3.8)	38 (4.4)	1 (0.4)	8 (12.3)	4 (2.9)
sulfamide + diaminopyrimidine	34 (2.6)	24 (2.8)	10 (3.8)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
Episodes with no antibiotic prescribing	647 (32.7)	329 (27.5)	95 (26.5)	169 (72.2)	54 (28.4)

Notes: ^aThe number of antibiotics prescribed adds up to more than the number of patients because some patients received more than one. Values in bold report the recommended antibiotics for each diagnosis.

Abbreviations: GPs, general practitioners; RTIs, respiratory tract infections.