Paediatric use of antibiotics in children with community acquired pneumonia: A survey from Da Nang, Vietnam

Aim To characterise paediatricians' antibiotic‐prescribing behaviour when managing community acquired pneumonia. Methods We conducted a knowledge and attitudes survey of paediatric doctors practicing at a regional provincial hospital in central Vietnam over a 2‐week period (from 12 December 2017 to 29 December 2017). Results Of 79 eligible paediatric doctors, 69 (87.3%) completed the questionnaire, of whom 65 (94.2%) thought that antibiotics were overused in Vietnam. Thirty‐eight doctors (55.1%) indicated that they routinely hospitalised children with pneumonia to provide intravenous antibiotics. Most doctors reported discharging children with non‐severe pneumonia after 5 days (76.9%) and those with severe pneumonia after 7–10 days (88.4%); older doctors generally continued intravenous antibiotics for longer. The two most important factors driving discharge decisions were clinical assessment (95.6%) and completion of the full course of intravenous antibiotics (80.0%). Antibiotic prescription was influenced by local guidelines (62.3%), drugs used before admission (50.0%) and the opinion of senior clinicians (37.7%). Most doctors believed antibiotic stewardship was necessary (98.6%) and that over‐the‐counter use of antibiotics should be restricted (97.1%). Conclusions Paediatricians recognised an urgent need for more effective regulation and antibiotic stewardship in Vietnam. Routinely completing a full course of intravenous antibiotics leads to unnecessary and prolonged hospitalisation.