Objective: We aim to characterize 1) the use of oral antibiotics for the treatment of acne in children and adolescents and 2)assess guideline compliance of current clinical practice around the world.

Rationale: Acne is a common and disabling medical problem, especially among adolescents.[1] Guidelines established by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommend to minimize the duration of systemic antibiotics for the management of acne ideally to 3-4 months and no longer than 6 months in order to decrease risk of resistance.[1] A recent systematic review demonstrated that over 50% of P acnes strains are reported as resistant in all major regions of the world.[2] In addition to promoting resistance, long-term oral antibiotic use has been associated with a number of adverse events including microbiome disruption and pharyngitis, and possible associations with inflammatory bowel disease and obesity.[3] Despite these adverse effects, oral antibiotics are often prescribed for acne for longer durations than acne guidelines recommend.[3] A large retrospective cohort study of teenagers in the UK revealed that 29% of antibiotic courses prescribed by general practitioners exceeded 6 months in duration.[3] OHDSI network evidence will identify areas of the globe most in need of improving guideline concordance.

Project Lead(s): Stephanie Chapman, Renee Domozych, Jessica Mounessa, Jonathan Silverberg, David Barbieri, Robert P. Dellavalle, Lisa M. Schilling

Full Draft Protocol: acne_abx_characterization_protocol.docx

Please provide any comments or suggestions.

http://forums.ohdsi.org/t/ohdsi-study-concordance-with-antibiotic-treatment-guidelines-for-acne/1703