Overprescribing and Inappropriate Antibiotic Selection for Children With Pharyngitis in the United States, 1997-2010

Overprescribing and Inappropriate Antibiotic Selection for Children With Pharyngitis in the United States, 1997-2010 Pharyngitis is a common reason for pediatric health care visits.1 While viral infections account for the majority of pharyngitis episodes, group A Streptococcus (GAS) is implicated in approximately 37% of episodes among children.1 Antimicrobial treatment of GAS pharyngitis can shorten illness duration, prevent complications, and minimize transmission to others.2 Evidencebased guidelines for GAS pharyngitis recommend narrowspectrum penicillins (amoxicillin or penicillin) as first-line therapy; they are effective and GAS is universally susceptible to these agents.2 In a recent study in adults with sore throat, most patients received broader-spectrum antibiotics, commonly macrolides, instead of first-line therapy.3 We characterized the frequency and appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing for pharyngitis in children.