Keywords: 
• probiotics /
• antibiotics /
• pneumonia /
• children /
• drug use evaluation

Abstract: Objective To describe the profile of probiotics utilization in hospitalized pneumonia children and evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of pneumonia in hospitalized children combined with antibiotics. Methods Descriptive data analysis was obtained from the medical records in one children's hospital in one year period. The clinical data including patient characteristics, drug prescribed time, drug use duration, and length of stay was reviewed. Ridit analysis was used to compare the data. Results Data of 2 974 children hospitalized for pneumonia was accessed. Antibiotics were prescribed to 99.1% (n=2 948) of patients, probiotics were prescribed to 42.1% (n=1 252) of patients, and both antibiotics and probiotics were prescribed to 41.9%(n=1 246). The median of the time to start administration of probiotics was the second day of hospitalization and the mode was the first day of hospitalization. For those patients who were prescribed antibiotics combined with probiotics, the median of the duration of administration of antibiotics before accepting probiotics was 3 days and the mode was 1 day. After administrating probiotics, the median of the duration of accepting of antibiotics was 5 days, the mode was 4 days, and the median and the mode of the duration of administration of probiotics were 4 days. 21% (n=626) of all hospitalized patients were administrated anti-diarrheals. The most common age group of them were neonates and infants (82.3%, n=515). The patients with anti-diarrheal who was administrated antibiotics with or without probiotics were 585(47.0%), 34(2.0%), respectively (P<0.05). The median of duration of anti-diarrheals in those administrated antibiotics with probiotics was 4 days, the mode was 3 days and the interquartile range was 2-6 days. For those administrated antibiotics without probiotics, the median of duration of anti-diarrheals was 3 days, the mode was 1 day and the interquartile range was 1-6 days (P>0.05). The median of the length of stay in those administrated antibiotics with probiotics was 7 days, the mode was 6 days and the interquartile range was 6-9 days. For those administrated antibiotics without probiotics, the median and the mode of the length of stay were 7 days and the interquartile range was 6-9 days(P>0.05). Conclusion The time of starting to administrate probiotics was mainly within 2 days combined with antibiotics. The aim of prescribed probiotics was prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. There was no significant difference in the duration of the following antibiotic therapy, the duration of anti-diarrhea therapy, the length of stay between those administrated antibiotics combination with or without probiotics.