Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship intervention on appropriateness of prescribing for community-acquired pneumonia in an Australian regional hospital

Intern Med J. 2017 May;47(5):582-585. doi: 10.1111/imj.13401.

Abstract

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the second commonest indication for antibiotic use in Australian hospitals and is therefore a frequent target for antimicrobial stewardship. A single-centre prospective study was conducted in a regional referral hospital comparing management of adult patients with CAP before and after an educational intervention. We demonstrated a reduction in duration of therapy and reduced inappropriate use of ceftriaxone-based regimens for non-severe CAP.

Keywords: antibiotic; antimicrobial stewardship; community-acquired pneumonia; duration of therapy; reformatted as a brief communication.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship / methods
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship / standards*
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / drug therapy
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology
  • Drug Prescriptions / standards*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • New South Wales / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia / drug therapy*
  • Pneumonia / epidemiology*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Tertiary Care Centers / standards*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents