Journal of Pediatrics & Child Care
Research Article
Clinicians’ Perspectives on the use of Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid for Pediatric Respiratory Infections in India Settings
Manjula S* and Krishna Kumar M
Department of Medical Services, Micro Labs Limited, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
*Address for Correspondence:Manjula S, Department of Medical Services, Micro Labs
Limited, Bangalore, Karnataka, India E-mail Id: drmanjulas@gmail.com
Submission: 20 May, 2025
Accepted: 27 June, 2025
Published: 30 June, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Manjula S, et al. This is an open access
article distributed under the Creative Commons Attr-ibution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Keywords:Antibiotic; Respiratory Infections; Pneumonia; Otitis media;
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid
Abstract
Objective: To investigate clinicians’ perspectives regarding
the usage of antibiotics for pediatric respiratory tract infections,
with a particular emphasis on amoxicillin and clavulanic acid use in
pneumonia and otitis media.
Methodology: The cross-sectional study employed a multiitem questionnaire to collect data from clinicians across India on their antibiotic use for pediatric patients with respiratory infections, preferences for dosage regimens, duration of treatment, and factors affecting patient compliance. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Categorical variables were presented as percentages to provide a clear understanding of response distributions. Results: The study included 568 clinicians, and 94% of them favored co-amoxiclav for acute otitis media in outpatient settings, while 90% preferred it for treating pediatric pneumonia. Around 36% of respondents prescribed high-dose amoxicillin (600 mg) with clavulanic acid (42.9 mg) for various infections, including respiratory, ear, sinus, urinary tract, and skin infections. Among otitis media cases, 32.75% of experts reported using amoxicillin-clavulanate in 61-80% of patients, and 30.81% prescribed the high-dose formulation to 26-50% of those with recurrent cases. A 7-day course was preferred by 47.89% of experts for recurrent otitis media. Antibiotic resistance was cited by 45.60% of clinicians as the most common complication of incomplete treatment.
Conclusion: This study highlights clinicians’ preference for amoxicillin clavulanate in treating pediatric respiratory infections, especially pneumonia and otitis media in Indian settings. The highdose formulation is commonly used for a 7-day course. Clinicians also recognize antibiotic resistance as the primary risk of incomplete treatment in children.
Methodology: The cross-sectional study employed a multiitem questionnaire to collect data from clinicians across India on their antibiotic use for pediatric patients with respiratory infections, preferences for dosage regimens, duration of treatment, and factors affecting patient compliance. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Categorical variables were presented as percentages to provide a clear understanding of response distributions. Results: The study included 568 clinicians, and 94% of them favored co-amoxiclav for acute otitis media in outpatient settings, while 90% preferred it for treating pediatric pneumonia. Around 36% of respondents prescribed high-dose amoxicillin (600 mg) with clavulanic acid (42.9 mg) for various infections, including respiratory, ear, sinus, urinary tract, and skin infections. Among otitis media cases, 32.75% of experts reported using amoxicillin-clavulanate in 61-80% of patients, and 30.81% prescribed the high-dose formulation to 26-50% of those with recurrent cases. A 7-day course was preferred by 47.89% of experts for recurrent otitis media. Antibiotic resistance was cited by 45.60% of clinicians as the most common complication of incomplete treatment.
Conclusion: This study highlights clinicians’ preference for amoxicillin clavulanate in treating pediatric respiratory infections, especially pneumonia and otitis media in Indian settings. The highdose formulation is commonly used for a 7-day course. Clinicians also recognize antibiotic resistance as the primary risk of incomplete treatment in children.