Prescribing Antimicrobial Drugs for Acute Gastroenteritis, Primary Care, Australia, 2013-2018

During 2013-2018, antimicrobial drugs were prescribed for 6.8% of cases of acute gastroenteritis encountered in general practice in Australia, including 35.7% of Salmonella infections and 54.1% of Campylobacter infections, During, that time, prescriptions for acute gastroenteritis decreased by 2.0%. Managing infectious gastroenteritis in general practice will require greater antimicrobial stewardship.

Automated summary

From 2013 to 2018, antimicrobial drugs were prescribed for 6.8% of acute gastroenteritis cases in general practice in Australia, with higher prescription rates for Salmonella and Campylobacter infections. There was a 2.0% decrease in prescriptions for acute gastroenteritis during this period, highlighting the need for better antimicrobial stewardship in managing infectious gastroenteritis in general practice.