Prevalence of inappropriate prescribing of inhaled corticosteroids for respiratory tract infections in the Netherlands: a retrospective cohort study

摘要

Background:Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are recommended in prevailing guidelines for use in patients with persistent asthma or moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and recurrent exacerbations. Recent data from Australia showed that 44% of patients with a single ICS dispensing and without other respiratory inhalation medications (‘one-off ICS’) were co-dispensed oral antibiotics. Evidence of the merit of ICS for treating respiratory infections in subjects without asthma or COPD is lacking.