Unnecessary Use of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics in Hospitalized Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Wern Nicole L, Hecker Michelle T, Sethi Ajay K, Donskey Curtis J
Primary Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Hypothesis
Longer than necessary treatment durations account for a significant proportion of unnecessary fluoroquinolone use.
Conclusion
In our institution, 39% of all days of fluoroquinolone therapy were unnecessary.
Supporting Evidence
- 39% of fluoroquinolone therapy days were unnecessary.
- Most unnecessary therapy was for non-infectious conditions.
- Urinary syndromes accounted for 30% of unnecessary therapy days.
- 55% of necessary regimens could have been replaced with alternative agents.
Takeaway
Doctors sometimes give patients antibiotics when they don't need them, and this study found that a lot of the time, patients were given these antibiotics for too long.
Methodology
A 6-week prospective, observational study was conducted to determine the frequency of unnecessary fluoroquinolone use among hospitalized patients.
Potential Biases
Some regimens may have been misclassified due to inadequate documentation.
Limitations
The study was conducted in a single tertiary care institution, and categorization of therapy as necessary or unnecessary was based on medical record review.
Participant Demographics
The median age of patients receiving unnecessary regimens was 65 years, with no significant differences in sex or comorbidities.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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