Antibiotic Use in Upper Respiratory Infections
Author Information
Author(s): Ilene H Zuckerman, Eli N Perencevich, Anthony D Harris
Primary Institution: University of Maryland
Hypothesis
Concurrent acute illness and comorbid conditions poorly predict antibiotic use in upper respiratory tract infections.
Conclusion
Antibiotic prevalence for URIs was high, indicating that potentially inappropriate antibiotic utilization is occurring.
Supporting Evidence
- 51.2% of patients with URI received an antibiotic.
- Antibiotic use varied by age group, with the lowest prevalence in the youngest age group.
- Concurrent acute illnesses were significantly associated with antibiotic use.
Takeaway
Doctors often give antibiotics for colds, even when they shouldn't, which can lead to more problems like antibiotic resistance.
Methodology
Cross-sectional analysis of medical and pharmacy claims data from the Pennsylvania Medicaid fee-for-service program.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of chronic disease history and reliance on claims data for diagnosis.
Limitations
Validation of claims data against primary data was not possible, and there may be misclassification of URI-related events.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 21.5 years, primarily female (62.0%) and white (83.9%).
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 4.29–5.00
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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