Racial Disparities in Antibiotic Treatment for Pneumonia
Author Information
Author(s): David Evans MPH, Kingsley Fortin-Leung MD, Vishnu Ravi Kumar MPH, Yanru Ma PhD, Radhika Prakash Asrani MPH, Zanthia Wiley MD, Scott K. Fridkin MD
Primary Institution: Emory University
Hypothesis
Does patients' race affect prescriber antibiotic choice for pneumonia treatment?
Conclusion
Non-Hispanic Black patients were less likely to receive anti-Pseudomonas agents compared to other racial groups, particularly among younger patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Black patients received anti-Pseudomonas agents for a lower proportion of their inpatient stay.
- Adjusted odds ratio for non-Hispanic Black patients receiving anti-Pseudomonas agents was 0.45.
- Disparities in antibiotic choice were mostly limited to younger patients.
Takeaway
The study found that Black patients with pneumonia often received different antibiotics than other patients, which might not be fair.
Methodology
Retrospective cohort analysis of adult inpatients with pneumonia from January 2019 to June 2022.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in antibiotic prescribing based on race and ethnicity.
Limitations
Data on race and ethnicity were based on electronic medical records, which may not be accurate.
Participant Demographics
Patients included were primarily non-Hispanic White (50%) and non-Hispanic Black (42%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.45 for non-Hispanic Black patients receiving anti-Pseudomonas agents
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.29, 0.70 for non-Hispanic Black patients receiving anti-Pseudomonas agents
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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