title: Antibiotic usage in community-acquired pneumonia: results of a survey in 288 departments of internal medicine in German hospitals.
abstract: In 1989 a survey was conducted in 800 medical departments of university hospitals and large to small teaching and non-teaching hospitals in the Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin to gather information on the usage of antibiotics for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. A total of 288 (36%) questionnaires could be evaluated. In cases of non-life-threatening pneumonia, the therapy specified was mostly correct, although macrolides as the treatment of choice were stated only rarely (11%). However, patients with life-threatening pneumonia were most often (50%) treated with new beta-lactam antibiotics or beta-lactam antibiotics in combination with aminoglycosides (43%). Thus, atypical pathogens causing pneumonia were not covered by most therapeutic regimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kappstein
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Daschner
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003625:Data Collection; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005860:Germany, West; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000592:standards; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents