Prevalence of antibiotic prescribing in COVID-19 patients in China and other low- and middle-income countries during the pandemic (December 2019—March 2021): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are particularly vulnerable to the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients during the pandemic may have contributed to increasing the AMR burden, but systematic evidence is lacking. Methods We searched Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and VIP databases from 1 December 2019 to 31 March 2021. Interventional and observation studies across all settings that reported antibiotic use in at least 10 COVID-19 patients were included. We restricted publications to English and Chinese languages. Screening and data extraction were undertaken by at least two independent reviewers. Results were synthesized using random-effects meta-analyses. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were used to explore heterogeneities. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021288291). Results We included 284 studies involving 210 611 participants in 19 countries. The antibiotic prescribing rates (APRs) in COVID-19 inpatients were 71.7% (95% CI 66.7%–76.5%) in China and 86.5% (77.1%–93.9%) in other LMICs, respectively. APR was lower in mild/moderate cases in China [66.9% (57.9%–75.4%) compared with 91.8% (71.4%–100%) in other LMICs]. High APRs were found among pregnant women and the elderly in China. Disparities in APRs of other patient groups were identified. In studies reporting bacterial infections, the prevalence was 17.3% (10.0%–25.9%) in China and 24.9% (0.1%–68.8%) in other LMICs. Several antibiotics on the WHO ‘Watch’ and ‘Reserve’ lists were prescribed frequently in LMICs. Conclusions Inappropriate antibiotic use and high prevalence of antibiotic prescribing were found in COVID-19 inpatients in many LMICs.