Continuation of antibiotics for UTI often inappropriate
(HealthDay)—For patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs), initiation of antibiotics in the emergency department is frequently inappropriate, as is continuation of antibiotics after admission, according to a study published online Nov. 12 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Dmitry Kiyatkin, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, and colleagues reviewed the medical records for all patients admitted to the hospital who initiated treatment for a UTI in the emergency department during a four-week period.
The researchers found that antibiotic initiation was inappropriate for 59 percent of 94 patients. Continuation of antibiotics after admission was inappropriate for 68 percent of 80 patients.
"In conclusion, we found a high rate of inappropriate antibiotic administration for UTIs that began in the emergency department and continued after admission," the authors write. "Specific guidelines should be developed and validated to direct diagnosis and treatment of UTIs in the emergency department and hospital."
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