Key clinical point: A significant percentage of children receive opioids and systemic corticosteroids for pneumonia and sinusitis despite guidelines, most often from EDs.

Major finding: Pneumonia was linked to an opioid prescription in 6% of ED visits versus 1.5% of ambulatory visits. Pneumonia was linked to a steroid prescription in 20% of ED visits versus 12% of ambulatory visits. Sinusitis was linked to an opioid prescription in 7.5% of ED visits versus 2% of ambulatory visits. Sinusitis was linked to a steroid prescription in 19% of ED visits versus 7% of ambulatory visits.

Study details: An analysis of 2016 Medicaid data from 31,838 children in South Carolina, including 2,140 children with pneumonia and 29,698 with sinusitis.

Disclosures: The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The authors had no potential conflicts of interest.