The efficacy of an antibiotic protocol for community‐acquired pneumonia

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the efficacy of an antibiotic protocol to avoid empirical use of third‐generation cephalosporins in community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP). Design and setting Retrospective case review of patients with CAP one year after implementing the protocol. Comparison was made with pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical journal of Australia 2001-04, Vol.174 (7), p.333-337
Main Authors: Dobbin, Catherine J, Duggan, Christopher J, Barnes, David J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Ampicillin - economics
Ampicillin - therapeutic use
Anti-Bacterial Agents - economics
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Antibacterial agents
Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents
Biological and medical sciences
Cefazolin - economics
Cefazolin - therapeutic use
Cephalosporins - economics
Cephalosporins - therapeutic use
Clinical Protocols
Community-Acquired Infections - diagnosis
Community-Acquired Infections - drug therapy
Community-Acquired Infections - economics
Community-Acquired Infections - mortality
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Drug Costs
Drug Therapy, Combination
Erythromycin - economics
Erythromycin - therapeutic use
Female
Hospital Mortality
Humans
Injections, Intravenous
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
New South Wales
Penicillin G - economics
Penicillin G - therapeutic use
Penicillins - economics
Penicillins - therapeutic use
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Pneumonia - diagnosis
Pneumonia - drug therapy
Pneumonia - economics
Pneumonia - mortality
Prognosis
Retrospective Studies
Statistics, Nonparametric
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:ABSTRACT Objective To assess the efficacy of an antibiotic protocol to avoid empirical use of third‐generation cephalosporins in community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP). Design and setting Retrospective case review of patients with CAP one year after implementing the protocol. Comparison was made with patients with CAP treated at a metropolitan tertiary referral hospital (where use of third‐generation cephalosporins was common). Participants 86 patients (district hospital with an antibiotic protocol) and 72 patients (metropolitan tertiary referral hospital). January – June 1999. Outcome measures Rate of staff adherence to the protocol; patient characteristics associated with poor protocol adherence; demographic and prognostic features of both groups at presentation; duration of intravenous therapy, time to defervescence, length of stay; inpatient mortality rates; and drug cost savings per patient treated according to the protocol. Results Overall protocol adherence rate was 60%. Patients with penicillin allergy were significantly less likely to receive treatment according to the protocol (P
ISSN:0025-729X
1326-5377
DOI:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143307.x