The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
In Bangladesh children under five with suspected pneumonia, 68.5% received an antibiotic in 2025, compared with 54.3% for nose-only symptoms.
- Why it matters: National surveys often do not distinguish respiratory symptom groups or care pathways, limiting understanding of where antibiotics are being used and how this varies by household wealth.
- What they did: Using 2019 and 2025 Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, the study analyzed 4,010 children with cough and difficult breathing (3,990 in regression), estimating survey-weighted adjusted prevalence ratios with modified Poisson regression.
- The result: Across pooled surveys, antibiotic receipt for nose-only symptoms was lower than suspected pneumonia (adjusted PR 0.83), and pharmacy care increased from 18.8% to 36.5% between 2019 and 2025; receipt for suspected pneumonia rose with wealth (SII 12.5 percentage points).
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
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