Antibiotic use in US hospitals: quantification, quality measures and stewardship

Abstract

A majority of patients hospitalized in the US hospitals receive an antibiotic during their hospitalization. Furthermore, up to half of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals are inappropriate. In the setting of continued emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and a limited pipeline of new antimicrobials, attention to optimizing antibiotic use in healthcare settings is essential. We review the measures of antibiotic consumption in the USA, the evolving metrics for comparing antibiotic use (known as benchmarking), trends in antibiotic use, the structure and outcome measures of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs and interventions to optimize antimicrobial use.

Keywords: antimicrobial stewardship; appropriate use; benchmarking.