Empiric antibiotic prescribing for patients with community-acquired pneumonia: where can we improve?
BACKGROUND
Community acquired pneumonia is one of the most common infections for which antibiotics are prescribed in Australia.


METHODS
We audited empiric antibiotic prescribing for 392 adults with community-acquired pneumonia.


RESULTS
Only 61.9% of patients received empiric antibiotic coverage for both typical and atypical pathogens. Of those who required intensive care unit management, 34.6% did not receive antibiotic cover for atypical pneumonia pathogens within the first 24 h. Approximately 21.9% of patients reporting antibiotic allergies were given antibiotics to which they had a documented allergy.


CONCLUSIONS
Efforts to improve prescribing practices could be focused towards identifying patients with severe illness early and improving recognition of documented allergies.
Buising
K L
KL
Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, The Royal melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. kirsty.buising@mh.org.au
Thursky
K A
KA
Black
J F
JF
Macgregor
L
L
Street
A C
AC
Kennedy
M P
MP
Brown
G V
GV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents