Antimicrobial stewardship in paediatrics

The general principles of antimicrobial stewardship can be applied to the paediatric population, but children have unique challenges that must be addressed when considering a paediatric antimicrobial stewardship programme, including the aetiology of paediatric infections, the non-specific nature of these infections, the difficulty in obtaining microbiology specimens, and paucity of data on antimicrobial dose and duration. Different antimicrobial stewardship strategies tailored to neonates and children are required in primary care and secondary/tertiary care settings. While children with complex infections are generally managed in hospital settings where prescribing can be closely monitored by antimicrobial stewardship teams, the majority of paediatric antimicrobial prescribing occurs in primary care. Promoting and monitoring the judicious use of antimicrobials in this setting is especially challenging.