Intermountain Health has received funding for a project aiming to improve the use of antibiotics for children with respiratory infections.

The $2.5 million project, awarded to Intermountain Health by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, will include more than 1,350 Intermountain clinicians who prescribe medications at 249 of its pediatric and family medicine facilities, emergency departments, urgent care center and telehealth services throughout eight states, including Utah.

Intermountain Health’s multiyear project aims to equitably increase the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of major respiratory tract infections, instead of broad spectrum antibiotics. Some of the diseases for this type of use include ear infections, group A streptococcal pharyngitis, acute sinusitis and community-acquired pneumonia. Clinicians will implement findings from a PCORI-funded study showing that narrow spectrum antibiotics were just as effective as broad-spectrum antibiotics — and with fewer side effects — in treating acute respiratory tract infections in children.

“For intermountain Health, this project represents the largest, most complex, disciplined implements of evidence-based practices in antibiotic stewardship, across all regions and in multiple settings,” said Dr. JP Valin, chief clinical officer for Intermountain Health.

Through the project, it’s intended that health care providers will be able to expand research-based practices to treat acute respiratory tract infections with the proper antibiotics, avoid side effects and lower the increasing problem of drug-resistant infections.

A report, published last month in The Lancet, found that between 1990 and 2021, more than 1 million people around the globe died from drug-resistant infections each year, and the numbers suggest more than 39 million people will die from antibiotic-resistant infections between 2025 and 2050.

Antibiotic resistance happens when antibiotics are given inappropriately for illnesses such as viruses, which do not respond to antibiotics. In addition, people who take an antibiotic and don’t finish the prescription risk antibiotic resistance by allowing the leftover bacteria to grow stronger resistance and also multiply.

“We are thrilled to have PCORI support for this important project which will enable us to expand Intermountain Health’s antibiotic stewardship efforts to hundreds of pediatric care settings across our system to ensure that children are receiving the very best care possible when they’re being treated for serious respiratory infection,” said Intermountain Health President and CEO Rob Allen. “Intermountain Health is uniquely positioned to advance antibiotic stewardship for children and is honored to partner with PCORI to advance this important work.”