Pattern of Antibiotic Use Among Children With Acute Respiratory Infections in Saudi Arabia: Clinical Assessment

The study evaluated the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children, focusing on the use of antibiotics. A retrospective review of 285 pediatric patients found that ARIs were most common in children with bronchopneumonia. Antibiotics were prescribed only when accompanied by certain bacterial infections, with a mean respiratory rate of 28±10.5 breaths per minute and oxygen saturation of 96.4±3.46%. The study suggests that antibiotics should only be used when bacterial infections are present to prevent antibiotic resistance.