Use of WATCH antibiotics prior to presentation to the hospital in rural Burkina Faso.

The reported frequent use of Watch group antibiotics among febrile patients prior to presentation to the hospital in rural Burkina Faso highlights the need to develop targeted interventions to improve antibiotic use in community settings as part of strengthening antibiotic stewardship in low- and middle-income countries. This should include facilitating referral, access to qualified prescribers and diagnostic tools in rural primary health care centers. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02669823. Registration date was February 1, 2016.