Antimicrobial Use for Respiratory Infections in Medical Outreach Camps for Children in Southern Malawi: an Observational Study
Abstract
The most common cause of Upper Respiratory Illnesses (URIs) are viruses, which do not need antibiotic therapy. Use of antimicrobials in patients with a viral URI is a growing concern and can lead to increased resistance, cost, and adverse effects. URIs are also one of the most common diseases found in outpatient populations, especially in children. This is true in Malawi, Africa, where antibiotics are frequently prescribed in patients presenting with URIs. The lack of ability to test to identify the causative organism is part of this high rate of antimicrobial use, as bacterial infection is not easy to rule out. Efforts and interventions to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use are a component of antimicrobial stewardship. This study aims to describe antibiotic prescribing patterns in Southern Malawi during pediatric outreach to provide insight on future antimicrobial stewardship interventions. An observational, descriptive study was conducted utilizing data from medical outreach conducted May 26-30, 2025. Physical examinations, clinical diagnoses, and prescribed treatments were recorded on a paper chart for each individual patient then entered into a database. The de-identified database was available to researchers. Patients were included if diagnosed with respiratory infection, under 18 years old, and complete chart information in the database. Datapoints analyzed included specific respiratory diagnosis, medical provider of record, and the provider’s recommendation for antibiotic treatment. Respiratory infections were divided into groups for each type/presentation. For each group of respiratory infection, the number of antibiotic recommendations made were tallied. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. 1,946 patients were assessed across the camp and 364 of them were identified with a respiratory infection. Analysis is currently in progress; the expectation is that the analysis of data will identify areas where better antimicrobial stewardship can be implemented in this population.
Start Time
15-4-2026 9:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 12:00 PM
Room Number
Culp Ballroom 316
Poster Number
70
Presentation Type
Poster
Student Type
Graduate and Professional Degree Students, Residents, Fellows
Faculty Mentor
Emily Flores
Antimicrobial Use for Respiratory Infections in Medical Outreach Camps for Children in Southern Malawi: an Observational Study
Culp Ballroom 316
The most common cause of Upper Respiratory Illnesses (URIs) are viruses, which do not need antibiotic therapy. Use of antimicrobials in patients with a viral URI is a growing concern and can lead to increased resistance, cost, and adverse effects. URIs are also one of the most common diseases found in outpatient populations, especially in children. This is true in Malawi, Africa, where antibiotics are frequently prescribed in patients presenting with URIs. The lack of ability to test to identify the causative organism is part of this high rate of antimicrobial use, as bacterial infection is not easy to rule out. Efforts and interventions to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use are a component of antimicrobial stewardship. This study aims to describe antibiotic prescribing patterns in Southern Malawi during pediatric outreach to provide insight on future antimicrobial stewardship interventions. An observational, descriptive study was conducted utilizing data from medical outreach conducted May 26-30, 2025. Physical examinations, clinical diagnoses, and prescribed treatments were recorded on a paper chart for each individual patient then entered into a database. The de-identified database was available to researchers. Patients were included if diagnosed with respiratory infection, under 18 years old, and complete chart information in the database. Datapoints analyzed included specific respiratory diagnosis, medical provider of record, and the provider’s recommendation for antibiotic treatment. Respiratory infections were divided into groups for each type/presentation. For each group of respiratory infection, the number of antibiotic recommendations made were tallied. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. 1,946 patients were assessed across the camp and 364 of them were identified with a respiratory infection. Analysis is currently in progress; the expectation is that the analysis of data will identify areas where better antimicrobial stewardship can be implemented in this population.
