Effectiveness of safety-netting approaches for acutely ill children: a network meta-analysis
2025

Effectiveness of Safety-Netting Approaches for Acutely Ill Children

Sample size: 35988 publication 10 minutes Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Burvenich Ruben MD, PhD, Bos David AG MD, Lowie Lien MD, Peeters Kiyano MSc, Toelen Jaan MD, PhD, Wynants Laure PhD, Verbakel Jan Y MD, PhD

Primary Institution: KU Leuven

Hypothesis

What are the effects of different safety-netting advice methods on antibiotic prescription and consumption in acutely ill children?

Conclusion

Paper safety-netting advice may reduce antibiotic use and return visits, while video and online methods may improve parental knowledge and satisfaction.

Supporting Evidence

  • Paper SNA may reduce antibiotic prescribing compared to usual care.
  • Video SNA may improve parental knowledge significantly.
  • Paper SNA was associated with a reduction in return visits.

Takeaway

This study found that giving parents written advice can help reduce unnecessary antibiotic use for sick kids, and videos can help parents understand better.

Methodology

Systematic review and network meta-analysis of various study designs including RCTs and non-randomised studies.

Potential Biases

High risk of bias in some studies due to issues with randomisation and missing data.

Limitations

The study did not search grey literature, which may introduce publication bias, and there was substantial heterogeneity among interventions.

Participant Demographics

Children aged ≤18 years in high-income countries.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.66

Confidence Interval

0.53 to 0.82

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3399/BJGP.2024.0141

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