Antibiotic use in premature infants after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit.
Using a retrospective cohort of premature infants, we constructed multivariable Poisson models to determine factors associated with the receipt of antibiotics during the first year after discharge, N = 891. Black race (incidence rate ratio 1.80 compared with White infants, P = .008), male gender (incidence rate ratio 1.44; P = .007), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (incidence rate ratio 1.47; P = .04), and each additional child at home (incidence rate ratio 1.21, P = .002) increased the receipt of antibiotics for any reason. Male gender and additional children at home increased the receipt of non-recommended antibiotics, while Black infants received care at facilities that prescribed more non-recommended antibiotics. Even in a high-risk population of children, factors other than the medical history and presentation of the child may alter antibiotic prescription patterns and result in variations in care.
Lorch
Scott A
SA
Center for Outcomes Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. lorch@email.chop.edu
Wade
Kelly C
KC
Bakewell-Sachs
Susan
S
Medoff-Cooper
Barbara
B
Silber
Jeffrey H
JH
Escobar
Gabriel J
GJ
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000188:drug therapy; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010351:Patient Discharge; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents