Researchers studied 14,987 patients, 6 months and older, with acute respiratory infections at outpatient clinics during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 influenza seasons. They collected antibiotic prescriptions, medical history and ICD-9 diagnosis codes from medical and pharmacy records.
Of the 14,987 patients with ARI, 41 percent were prescribed an antibiotic. Among those who received an antibiotic prescription (6,136 patients):
• 41 percent had diagnoses for which antibiotics are not indicated
• 84 percent patients were diagnosed as having a viral upper respiratory tract infection or bronchitis
Among the 3,306 patients not diagnosed as having pneumonia but who had the flu, 29 percent were prescribed an antibiotic.
“Antibiotic overuse remains widespread in the treatment of outpatient ARIs, including among patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza, although study sites may not be representative of other outpatient settings,” study authors concluded.
More articles on healthcare quality:
This flu season was the deadliest for children in nearly a decade
Rhode Island Hospital to invest $1M in training after 4 patient errors in 4 weeks
Cincinnati hospital nurses warn new CNO of staffing crisis, patient safety concerns
