Course Goals

The goals of this EQIPP course include:

• Become familiar with current guidelines and recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of common pediatric infections, including upper respiratory infection (URI), acute otitis media, group A streptococcal pharyngitis and acute bacterial sinusitis.
• Practice and promote antibiotic stewardship by prescribing antibiotics only when necessary and promoting the use of appropriate agent(s), dose, duration, and route of therapy to optimize clinical outcomes while minimizing the unintended consequences of antibiotic use.
• Identify areas of improvement needed in practice related to the diagnosis, treatment, and guidance offered to families regarding common pediatric infections and judicious antibiotic prescribing. Recognize barriers that may impede changes, identify processes/resources to overcome these barriers, and create plans for improvement. (You will collect baseline and follow-up data as you work to improve care and processes through Plan, Do, Study, and Act [PDSA] cycles.)

Objectives

By the end of this course, you will able to:

• Accurately diagnose and treat common pediatric infections, including upper respiratory infection (URI), acute otitis media, group A streptococcal pharyngitis, and acute bacterial sinusitis to ensure appropriate and effective treatment.
• Differentiate between viral and bacterial infections.
• Treat patients effectively, using antibiotics only when indicated and prescribed appropriately.
  • Avoid misuse of antibiotics by not treating patients when antibiotics have no benefit.
  • Prescribe narrow-spectrum antibiotics vs broad-spectrum antibiotics when viable to limit antibiotic resistance and unnecessary healthcare costs, while maintaining high-quality care.
  • Identify dangers of inappropriate use of antibiotics.
• Develop a practice policy concerning judicious use and prescribing of antibiotics and communicate it to patients and and families.
  • Provide information to patients and families about the benefits and risks of antibiotic use.
  • Provide guidance and education to patients and families about the benefits of judicious use of antibiotics for mitigating antibiotic resistance and adverse events for patients.
  • Respond effectively to patients and families when unnecessary antibiotics are requested.
• Assess the diagnostic and prescribing patterns of your practice.