Assessment of empirical antibiotic therapy optimisation in six hospitals: an observational cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Modification of empirical antimicrobials when warranted by culture results or clinical signs is recommended to control antimicrobial overuse and resistance. We aimed to assess the frequency with which patients were started on empirical antimicrobials, characteristics of the empirical regimen and the clinical characteristics of patients at the time of starting antimicrobials, patterns of changes to empirical therapy at different timepoints, and modifiable factors associated with changes to the initial empirical regimen in the first 5 days of therapy.

Methods

We did a chart review of adult inpatients receiving one or more antimicrobials in six US hospitals on 4 days during 2009 and 2010. Our primary outcome was the modification of antimicrobial regimen on or before

SUBMITTER: Braykov NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5525058 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature