Antibiotic side-effects result in 70,000 US emergency department visits over five years

New research published in the Journal of the Pediatric Diseases Society has highlighted the potential risk of adverse antibiotic reactions in young patients.

The authors estimated that antibiotic use led to an estimated 70,000 emergency room visits by children in the US between 2011 and 2015.

The research involved using national estimates for outpatient antibiotic prescriptions alongside a nationally representative sample of emergency room visits attributed to antibiotic use among children aged 19 or younger.

Most related to allergic reactions(96%), such as itching and severe swelling beneath the skin.

Children aged two or younger had the highest risk of an adverse reaction to antibiotics.

Among those aged nine or younger, the most common antibiotic involved was amoxicillin, while sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim was the most frequently implicated form of antibiotic in those aged between 10 and 19.

Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed medication for children, but research suggests that nearly a third of antibiotic prescriptions for children are unnecessary.