High frequency of antibiotic prescription in children with undifferentiated febrile illness in Kenya.

Background In low-resource, malaria-endemic settings, accurate diagnosis of febrile illness in children is challenging. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of malaria prior to starting treatment in stable children. Factors guiding management of children with undifferentiated febrile illness outside of malaria are not well understood. Methods This study examined clinical presentation and management of a cohort of febrile Kenyan children at five hospital/clinic sites from January 2014 to December 2017. Chi-squared and multivariate regression analyses were used to compare frequencies and correlate demographic, environmental, and clinical factors with patient diagnosis and prescription of antibiotics. Results Of 5735 total participants, 68% were prescribed antibiotic treatment (n = 3902), despite only 28% given a diagnosis of bacterial illness (n = 1589). Factors associated with prescription of antibiotic therapy included: negative malaria testing, reporting head, ears, eyes, nose and throat (HEENT) symptoms (i.e., cough, runny nose), HEENT findings on exam (i.e., nasal discharge, red throat), and having a flush toilet in the home (likely a surrogate for higher socioeconomic status). Conclusion In a cohort of acutely ill Kenyan children, prescription of antimalarial therapy and malaria test results were well correlated, whereas antibiotic treatment was prescribed empirically to most of those who tested malaria negative. Clinical management of febrile children in these settings is difficult given the lack of diagnostic testing. Providers may benefit from improved clinical education and implementation of enhanced guidelines in this era of malaria testing, as their management strategies must rely primarily on critical thinking and decision-making skills.