Analysis of antibiotic use in emergency departments over 10-year period shows unimproved antibiotic use for adults, according to an article in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Unnecessary use of antibiotics for respiratory infections, which cause 126 million ED visits each year in the U.S., declined among patients 19 and younger but remained stable for adults in the dataset.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
The large volume of patients in EDs, in addition to the high percentage of uninsured or Medicare patients who may use the facilities for primary care, make the antibiotic problem particularly thorny, according to a news release, especially considering the contribution of antibiotic overuse to antibiotic resistance.
In addition, frequent unnecessary use of antibiotics may complicate diagnoses, lead patients to expect antibiotics or encourage patients to ask clinicians for antibiotics, according to the news release.
More Articles on Quality:
Antibiotics Before Heart Surgery Prevent SSIs
8 Stories, Studies on Antibiotics
FDA Responds to Antibiotics Crisis, Cracks Down on Antibiotics for Livestock