Clinical effectiveness of co-amoxiclav in upper respiratory tract infections: results from a large multicenter real-world evidence study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20263710Keywords:
Antimicrobial stewardship, Antibiotic prescribing patterns, Respiratory bacterial infections, Treatment outcomesAbstract
Background: Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are among the most common reasons for outpatient consultations and antibiotic prescribing. Although many URTIs are viral, bacterial infections and secondary bacterial complications often require antimicrobial treatment. Co-amoxiclav is widely used for bacterial respiratory infections; however, large-scale real-world evidence (RWE) remains limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness and prescribing patterns of co-amoxiclav in routine clinical practice.
Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, medical record-based RWE study included patients with URTIs who received co-amoxiclav across participating centers. Demographic characteristics, prescribing patterns, and treatment outcomes were evaluated in pediatric (≤12 years) and adult (>12 years) populations. Clinical outcomes were categorized as cure, improvement, or no improvement.
Results: A total of 12,986 patients were included, comprising 1,116 pediatric and 11,870 adult patients. Unspecified URTI was the predominant diagnosis (81.6%), followed by tonsillitis, acute otitis media (AOM), pharyngitis, sinusitis, and laryngitis. Suspension formulations were prescribed more frequently in pediatric patients, whereas tablet formulations predominated among adults. Twice-daily dosing was the most commonly prescribed regimen across age groups. Overall clinical success (cure plus improvement) was achieved in 12,970 patients (99.88%). Complete clinical cure was documented in 12,295 patients (94.7%), while 675 patients (5.2%) showed clinical improvement and only 16 patients (0.1%) reported no improvement. Clinical cure rates were comparable between pediatric and adult populations (93.8% vs. 94.8%, respectively).
Conclusions: Co-amoxiclav demonstrated high rates of clinical cure and overall treatment success in patients with URTIs across pediatric and adult populations, supporting its effectiveness in routine clinical practice when appropriately prescribed for suspected bacterial respiratory infections.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Akash Saha, Pushpak Palod, Vaibhav Lamdhade, Vinay Bagaria, Ajitkumar Gondane, Amitrajit Pal, Dattatray Pawar, Akhilesh Sharma

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