Association of Broad VS Narrow-Spectrum Antibiotics with Treatment

Failure, Adverse Events, and Quality of Life in Children With Acute

Respiratory Tract Infections

Broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract

infections is increasing. Overuse of
broad-spectrum antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance,
drug-related adverse events and increased costs .
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends penicillin or
amoxicillin, which are both narrow-spectrum antibiotics, as first-line
therapy for most children with acute otitis media; However, clinical
trials have used amoxicillin-clavulanate, which is a broad-spectrum
antibiotic, to compare with placebo for acute otitis media,suggesting
that broad-spectrum antibiotics are appropriate.
This study aimed to compare the effectiveness
of broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum antibiotic
treatment for acute respiratory tract infections among children
by assessing both clinical outcomes and patient-centered
outcomes.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29260224