Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 8, Number 12—December 2002
Perspective

Outpatient Antibiotic Use and Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Pneumococci in France and Germany: A Sociocultural Perspective

Stephan Harbarth*Comments to Author , Werner Albrich†, and Christian Brun-Buisson‡
Author affiliations: *University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; †Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ‡University Hospital Henri Mondor, Créteil, France

Main Article

Figure 3

Outpatient antibiotic utilization (18,19), France and Germany, 1985–1997. DDD, daily defined doses.

Figure 3. Outpatient antibiotic utilization (18,19), France and Germany, 1985–1997. DDD, daily defined doses.

Main Article

References
  1. Hoban  DJ, Doern  GV, Fluit  AC, Roussel-Delvallez  M, Jones  RN. Worldwide prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis in the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, 1997–1999. Clin Infect Dis. 2001;32(Suppl 2):S81–93. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Pradier  C, Dunais  B, Carsenti-Etesse  H, Dellamonica  P. Pneumococcal resistance patterns in Europe. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1997;16:644–7. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Schmitz  FJ, Verhoef  J, Fluit  AC. Prevalence of resistance to MLS antibiotics in 20 European university hospitals participating in the European SENTRY surveillance programme. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1999;43:783–92. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Anell  A, Willis  M. International comparison of health care systems using resource profiles. Bull World Health Organ. 2000;78:770–8.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. Wessling  A, Boethius  G. Measurement of drug use in a defined population. Evaluation of the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1990;39:207–10. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. Jacobs  MR, Felmingham  D, Appelbaum  PC. Penicillin and macrolide resistance in 2,675 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from 15 countries on five continents [Abstract]. ICAAC. San Francisco: American Society for Microbiology; 1999. p. 1044.
  7. Reinert  RR, Simic  S, Al-Lahham  A, Reinert  S, Lemperle  M, Lutticken  R. Antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered from outpatients with respiratory tract infections in Germany from 1998 to 1999: results of a national surveillance study. J Clin Microbiol. 2001;39:1187–9. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. Thierry  J, Perrier-Gros-Claude  JD, Clavier  B, Dumas  M, Aubert  G, Barbe  G, [Pneumococcus observatory data in the Rhone-Alps region. Results from 1996]. Pathol Biol (Paris). 1999;47:1060–4.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Sahm  DF, Jones  ME, Hickey  ML, Diakun  DR, Mani  SV, Thornsberry  C. Resistance surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis isolated in Asia and Europe, 1997–1998. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2000;45:457–66. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. Chomarat  M. [Pneumococcal antibiotic resistance in 1999. Results from 19 registries for 1999]. Presse Med. 2001;1:5–6.
  11. Reinert  RR, Al-Lahham  A, Lemperle  M, Tenholte  C, Briefs  C, Haupts  S, Emergence of macrolide and penicillin resistance among invasive pneumococcal isolates in Germany. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2002;49:61–8. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  12. Bouvenot  G. French National Institute for observation of prescriptions and consumption of medicines. Prescription and consumption of antibiotics in ambulatory care. Bull Acad Natl Med. 1999;183:601–13.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. Avorn  J, Solomon  DH. Cultural and economic factors that (mis)shape antibiotic use: the nonpharmacologic basis of therapeutics. Ann Intern Med. 2000;133:128–35.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  14. Harbarth  S, Albrich  W, Goldmann  DA, Huebner  J. Control of multiply resistant cocci: do international comparisons help? Lancet Infect Dis. 2001;1:251–61. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. Samore  MH, Magill  MK, Alder  SC, Severina  E, Morrison-De Boer  L, Lyon  JL, High rates of multiple antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae from healthy children living in isolated rural communities: association with cephalosporin use and intrafamilial transmission. Pediatrics. 2001;108:856–65. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. Chiu  SS, Ho  PL, Chow  FK, Yuen  KY, Lau  YL. Nasopharyngeal carriage of antimicrobial-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae among young children attending 79 kindergartens and day care centers in Hong Kong. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2001;45:2765–70. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  17. Klugman  KP. Antibiotic selection of multiply resistant pneumococci. Clin Infect Dis. 2001;33:489–91. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  18. McManus  P, Hammond  ML, Whicker  SD, Primrose  JG, Mant  A, Fairall  SR. Antibiotic use in the Australian community, 1990–1995. Med J Aust. 1997;167:124–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. Cars  O, Molstad  S, Melander  A. Variation in antibiotic use in the European Union. Lancet. 2001;357:1851–3. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. Huchon  GJ, Gialdroni-Grassi  G, Leophonte  P, Manresa  F, Schaberg  T, Woodhead  M. Initial antibiotic therapy for lower respiratory tract infection in the community: a European survey. Eur Respir J. 1996;9:1590–5. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. Woodhead  M, Gialdroni Grassi  G, Huchon  GJ, Leophonte  P, Manresa  F, Schaberg  T. Use of investigations in lower respiratory tract infection in the community: a European survey. Eur Respir J. 1996;9:1596–600. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. Guillemot  D, Maison  P, Carbon  C, Balkau  B, Vauzelle-Kervroedan  F, Sermet  C, Trends in antimicrobial drug use in the community—France, 1981–1992. J Infect Dis. 1998;177:492–7. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. Raherison  C, Peray  P, Poirier  R, Romand  P, Grignet  JP, Arsac  P, Management of lower respiratory tract infections by French general practitioners: the AIR II study. Eur Respir J. 2002;19:314–9. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  24. Guillemot  D, Carbon  C, Balkau  B, Geslin  P, Lecoeur  H, Vauzelle-Kervroedan  F, Low dosage and long treatment duration of beta-lactam: risk factors for carriage of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. JAMA. 1998;279:365–70. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. Guillemot  D, Carbon  C, Vauzelle-Kervroedan  F, Balkau  B, Maison  P, Bouvenot  G, Inappropriateness and variability of antibiotic prescription among French office-based physicians. J Clin Epidemiol. 1998;51:61–8. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. Ball  P, Baquero  F, Cars  O, File  T, Garau  J, Klugman  K, Antibiotic therapy of community respiratory tract infections: strategies for optimal outcomes and minimized resistance emergence. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2002;49:31–40. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  27. Schrag  SJ, Pena  C, Fernandez  J, Sanchez  J, Gomez  V, Perez  E, Effect of short-course, high-dose amoxicillin therapy on resistant pneumococcal carriage: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2001;286:49–56. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. de Melker  RA, Touw-Otten  FW, Kuyvenhoven  MM. Transcultural differences in illness behaviour and clinical outcome: an underestimated aspect of general practice? Fam Pract. 1997;14:472–7. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  29. Pradier  C, Rotily  M, Cavailler  P, Haas  H, Pesce  A, Dellamonica  P, Factors related to the prescription of antibiotics for young children with viral pharyngitis by general practitioners and pediatricians in southeastern France. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1999;18:510–4. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  30. Melchart  D, Walther  E, Linde  K, Brandmaier  R, Lersch  C. Echinacea root extracts for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Arch Fam Med. 1998;7:541–5. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. Wahlstrom  R, Lagerlov  P, Lundborg  CS, Veninga  CCM, Hummers-Pradier  E, Dahlgren  LO, Variations in general practitioners’ views of asthma management in four European countries. Soc Sci Med. 2001;53:507–18. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  32. Homoeopathic Medicine Research Group. Homoeopathic medicine in Europe. Vol. DGXII. Brussels: Commission des Communautes Europeennes; 1996.
  33. Buhring  P. Ganzheitliche Therapie gewünscht. Dtsch Arztebl. 2001;98:1307.
  34. Ernst  E. Prevalence of use of complementary/alternative medicine: a systematic review. Bull World Health Organ. 2000;78:252–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  35. Payer  L. Medicine and culture: varieties of treatment in the United States, England, West Germany, and France. New York: Henry Holt and Company; 1988.
  36. Branthwaite  A, Pechere  JC. Pan-European survey of patients’ attitudes to antibiotics and antibiotic use. J Int Med Res. 1996;24:229–38.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  37. De Saint-Hardouin  G, Goldgewicht  M, Kemeny  G, Rufat  P, Perronne  C. Evaluation de la pression des parents sur les medecins pour la prescription des antibiotiques dans les infections ORL de l’enfant en ville. Med Mal Infect. 1997;27:372–8. DOIGoogle Scholar
  38. Sorum  PC, Shim  J, Chasseigne  G, Mullet  E, Sastre  MT, Stewart  T, Do parents and physicians differ in making decisions about acute otitis media? J Fam Pract. 2002;51:51–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  39. Pichichero  ME. Understanding antibiotic overuse for respiratory tract infections in children. Pediatrics. 1999;104:1384–8. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  40. Macfarlane  J, Holmes  W, Gard  P, Thornhill  D, Macfarlane  R, Hubbard  R. Reducing antibiotic use for acute bronchitis in primary care: blinded, randomised controlled trial of patient information leaflet. BMJ. 2002;324:1–6. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  41. Rovers  MM, Zielhuis  GA, Ingels  K, van der Wilt  GJ. Day-care and otitis media in young children: a critical overview. Eur J Pediatr. 1999;158:1–6. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  42. Cooper  CJ. Ready to learn—the French system of early education and care offers lessons for the United States. New York: French-American Foundation; 1999.
  43. Tageseinrichtungen für Kinder. Wiesbaden, Germany: Statistisches Bundesamt; 2000.
  44. Daly  KA, Giebink  GS. Clinical epidemiology of otitis media. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2000;19(Suppl):S31–6. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  45. Aubry-Damon  H, Carlet  J, Courvalin  P, Desenclos  JC, Drucker  J, Guillemot  D, Bacterial resistance to antibiotics in France: a public health priority. Eurosurveillance. 2000;5:135–8.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  46. Khlat  M, Sermet  C, Le Pape  A. Women’s health in relation with their family and work roles: France in the early 1990s. Soc Sci Med. 2000;50:1807–25. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  47. Fean  A. France shows way with childcare. Times (Lond). 1997;:7.
  48. Hardy  AM, Fowler  MG. Child care arrangements and repeated ear infections in young children. Am J Public Health. 1993;83:1321–5. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  49. Leino  T, Auranen  K, Jokinen  J, Leinonen  M, Tervonen  P, Takala  AK. Pneumococcal carriage in children during their first two years: important role of family exposure. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2001;20:1022–7. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  50. Giebink  GS. The prevention of pneumococcal disease in children. N Engl J Med. 2001;345:1177–83. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  51. Freeman  V, van’t Hof  M, Haschke  F. Patterns of milk and food intake in infants from birth to age 36 months: the Euro-growth study. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2000;31(Suppl 1):S76–85. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  52. Crost  M, Kaminski  M. [Breast feeding at maternity hospitals in France in 1995. National perinatal survey]. Arch Pediatr. 1998;5:1316–26. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  53. Le Pen  C. Pharmaceutical economy and the economic assessment of drugs in France. Soc Sci Med. 1997;45:635–43. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  54. Danzon  PM, Chao  LW. Cross-national price differences for pharmaceuticals: how large, and why? J Health Econ. 2000;19:159–95. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  55. Bergan  T. Antibiotic usage in Nordic countries. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2001;18:279–82. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  56. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. OECD health data. Paris: the Organisation; 2000.
  57. Giuliani  G, Selke  G, Garattini  L. The German experience in reference pricing. Health Policy. 1998;44:73–85. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  58. Dickson  M. The pricing of pharmaceuticals: an international comparison. Clin Ther. 1992;14:604–10.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  59. Garattini  L, Tediosi  F. A comparative analysis of generics markets in five European countries. Health Policy. 2000;51:149–62. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  60. Huttin  C. A critical review of the remuneration systems for pharmacists. Health Policy. 1996;36:53–68. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  61. Choutet  P. Impact of opposable medical references prescription guidelines for antibiotic prescriptions in ambulatory medicine. Therapie. 2001;56:139–42.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  62. Reichmann  P, Varon  E, Gunther  E, Reinert  RR, Luttiken  R, Marton  A, Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Germany: genetic relationship to clones from other European countries. J Med Microbiol. 1995;43:377–85. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  63. Geslin  P, Fremaux  A, Sissia  G, Spicq  C. [Streptococcus pneumoniae: serotypes, invasive and antibiotic resistant strains. Current situation in France]. Presse Med. 1998;27(Suppl 1):21–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  64. Kries  R, Siedler  A, Schmitt  HJ, Reinert  RR. Proportion of invasive pneumococcal infections in German children preventable by pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;31:482–7. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  65. Hausdorff  WP, Siber  G, Paradiso  PR. Geographical differences in invasive pneumococcal disease rates and serotype frequency in young children. Lancet. 2001;357:950–2. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  66. Van Veldhuisen  DJ, Charlesworth  A, Crijns  HJ, Lie  KI, Hampton  JR. Differences in drug treatment of chronic heart failure between European countries. Eur Heart J. 1999;20:666–72. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  67. Durieux  P, Gaillac  B, Giraudeau  B, Doumenc  M, Ravaud  P. Despite financial penalties, French physicians’ knowledge of regulatory practice guidelines is poor. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:414–8. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  68. Metlay  JP, Shea  JA, Crossette  LB, Asch  DA. Tensions in antibiotic prescribing—pitting social concerns against the interests of individual patients. J Gen Intern Med. 2002;17:87–94. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  69. Butler  CC, Rollnick  S, Pill  R, Maggs-Rapport  F, Stott  N. Understanding the culture of prescribing: qualitative study of general practitioners’ and patients’ perceptions of antibiotics for sore throats. BMJ. 1998;317:637–42.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  70. Baquero  F. Antibiotic resistance in Spain: what can be done? Clin Infect Dis. 1996;23:819–23.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  71. La moitié des prescriptions d’antibiotiques sont injustifiées. Le Monde 2001 Nov 21; p. 11.
  72. Molstad  S, Cars  O. Major change in the use of antibiotics following a national programme: Swedish Strategic Programme for the Rational Use of Antimicrobial Agents and Surveillance of Resistance. Scand J Infect Dis. 1999;31:191–5. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  73. Gin  AS, Carrie  A, Hoban  D, Weiss  K, Low  D, Zhanel  GG. Antibiotic use is decreasing in Canada: Results of a national survey of outpatient prescription data from 1995–1999. [Abstract 135]. ICAAC. Toronto: American Society for Microbiology; 2000.
  74. McCaig  LF, Besser  RE, Hughes  JM. Trends in antimicrobial prescribing rates for children and adolescents. JAMA. 2002;287:3096–102. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  75. Friis  H, Bro  F, Eriksen  NR, Mabeck  CE, Vejlsgaard  R. The effect of reimbursement on the use of antibiotics. Scand J Prim Health Care. 1993;11:247–51. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  76. Korn  SJ, Raufi  SM, Rosenthal  EJ, Shah  PM. Susceptibility pattern of Streptococcus pneumoniae outpatients in Germany. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2000;6:563–4. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  77. Van Zuijlen  DA, Schilder  AG, Van Balen  FA, Hoes  AW. National differences in incidence of acute mastoiditis: relationship to prescribing patterns of antibiotics for acute otitis media? Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2001;20:140–4. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  78. Hoppe  JE, Koster  S, Bootz  F. Acute mastoiditis: relevant once again. Infection. 1994;22:178–82. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  79. Gessner  BD. Worldwide variation in incidence of Haemophilus influenzae type B meningitis and its association with ampicillin resistance. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2002;21:79–87. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  80. Bronzwaer  SL, Cars  O, Buchholz  U, Molstad  S, Goettsch  W, Veldhuijzen  IK, A European study on the relationship between antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance. Emerg Infect Dis. 2002;8:278–82.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  81. Touw-Otten  FW, Johansen  KS. Diagnosis, antibiotic treatment and outcome of acute tonsillitis: report of a WHO Regional Office for Europe study in 17 European countries. Fam Pract. 1992;9:255–62. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar

Main Article

Page created: July 19, 2010
Page updated: July 19, 2010
Page reviewed: July 19, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external