scholarly journals A gut reaction

2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-7
Author(s):  
Dalia Hasan ◽  
Kristen Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Medical Literature ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Antibiotic Overuse ◽  
Obesity And Diabetes

The development of antibiotics is one of the greatest advances of modern medicine. While antibiotics have dramatically improved morbidity and mortality rates worldwide, current evidence asserts that one should err on the side of caution when prescribing antibiotics. The medical literature is accumulating studies on alarming consequences of inappropriate antibiotic use. Due to antibiotic overexposure, a North American “hypervirulant” strain of Clostridium difficile has emerged causing more severe gastrointestinal manifestations than previous strains. More recently, antibiotic overuse has been associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus. Unnecessary antibiotic use has led to increasing rates of bacterial resistance rendering more antibiotics ineffective. We are currently on the brink of an era which could reverse all the progress made with the introduction of antibiotics. The salient health consequences of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and the threat of a postantibiotic era command attention to practical initiatives that improve antibiotic prescribing patterns.

scholarly journals 966. A Closer Look at Antibiotic Prescribing for Upper Respiratory Illnesses (URI) in People with HIV Compared with People Without HIV

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S31-S31
Author(s):  
Anum Abbas ◽  
Mackenzie R Keintz ◽  
Elizabeth Lyden ◽  
Jihyun Ma ◽  
Sara H Bares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Private Insurance ◽  
Primary Care Clinic ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Antibiotic Overuse ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Icd 10

Abstract Background Antibiotic overuse is widespread, increasing healthcare cost and promoting antimicrobial resistance. People with HIV (PWH) who develop URIs may be assumed “higher risk,” compared with non-PWH, but comparative antibiotic use evaluations have not been performed. We evaluated antibiotic prescribing patterns for URI diagnoses (cough, sinusitis, bronchitis, and cold) in PWH and non-PWH. Methods This was an observational, single-center study comparing PWH and non-PWH diagnosed with URI (using ICD 10 codes for URI syndromes: cough, sinusitis, bronchitis, and cold) between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2018. Patients were empaneled in an outpatient primary care clinic or specialty care clinic in one healthcare system. Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing was defined based on published guidelines. Fisher’s exact test compared categorical variables with antibiotic prescribing patterns. Each encounter was considered an independent event. Results The two groups (PWH and non-PWH) were similar, with 34% of subjects in both groups being female. PWH had median CD4+ count of 610 cells/mm3 with 91% on antiretrovirals and 77% with HIV RNA < 20 copies/mL. Overall, 37% of visits resulted in antibiotic prescriptions, 92% of which were inappropriate (discordant with guidelines). Antibiotics were prescribed slightly more frequently in non-PWH (40% vs. 33%, P = 0.056; Figure 1) and inappropriate more often in non-PWH (37% vs. 30%, P = 0.029). Over 20% of PWH antibiotic prescriptions were too long, and 22% of non-PWH received the wrong drug (Figure 2; P = 0.011). 47% of the non-PWH receiving antibiotics for URI had private insurance (compared with other payers; P < 0.0001) vs. 33% in PWH (P = 0.32) (Figure 3). Conclusion Outpatient antibiotic overuse remains prevalent among patients evaluated for URIs. This is the first study, to our knowledge, comparing antibiotic use for URIs in PWH compared with non-PWH. Counterintuitively, we found less-frequent inappropriate antibiotic use in PWH. We speculate that PWH are more likely to be evaluated by infectious disease/HIV specialists, possibly explaining the lower rate of antibiotic prescriptions for URIs in this population. Future analyses will evaluate the association between provider specialty and inappropriate antibiotic use. Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures.

scholarly journals A Review of Evidence-Based Recommendations for Pericoronitis Management and a Systematic Review of Antibiotic Prescribing for Pericoronitis among Dentists: Inappropriate Pericoronitis Treatment Is a Critical Factor of Antibiotic Overuse in Dentistry

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6796
Author(s):  
Jan Schmidt ◽  
Martina Kunderova ◽  
Nela Pilbauerova ◽  
Martin Kapitan
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Local Therapy ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Antibiotic Overuse ◽  
Clinically Significant

This work provides a narrative review covering evidence-based recommendations for pericoronitis management (Part A) and a systematic review of antibiotic prescribing for pericoronitis from January 2000 to May 2021 (Part B). Part A presents the most recent, clinically significant, and evidence-based guidance for pericoronitis diagnosis and proper treatment recommending the local therapy over antibiotic prescribing, which should be reserved for severe conditions. The systematic review includes publications analyzing sets of patients treated for pericoronitis and questionnaires that identified dentists' therapeutic approaches to pericoronitis. Questionnaires among dentists revealed that almost 75% of them prescribed antibiotics for pericoronitis, and pericoronitis was among the top 4 in the frequency of antibiotic use within the surveyed diagnoses and situations. Studies involving patients showed that antibiotics were prescribed to more than half of the patients with pericoronitis, and pericoronitis was among the top 2 in the frequency of antibiotic use within the monitored diagnoses and situations. The most prescribed antibiotics for pericoronitis were amoxicillin and metronidazole. The systematic review results show abundant and unnecessary use of antibiotics for pericoronitis and are in strong contrast to evidence-based recommendations summarized in the narrative review. Adherence of dental professionals to the recommendations presented in this work can help rapidly reduce the duration of pericoronitis, prevent its complications, and reduce the use of antibiotics and thus reduce its impact on patients' quality of life, healthcare costs, and antimicrobial resistance development.

scholarly journals Informing the development of a standardised approach to measure antibiotic use in secondary care: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e026792
Author(s):  
Selina Patel ◽  
Arnoupe Jhass ◽  
Susan Hopkins ◽  
Laura Shallcross
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Care ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Antibiotic Consumption ◽  
Antibiotic Usage ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Antibiotic Consumption Surveillance

IntroductionEcological and individual-level evidence indicates that there is an association between level of antibiotic exposure and the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. The Global Point Prevalence Survey in 2015 estimated that 34.4% of hospital inpatients globally received at least one antimicrobial. Antimicrobial stewardship to optimise antibiotic use in secondary care can reduce the high risk of patients acquiring and transmitting drug-resistant infections in this setting. However, differences in the availability of data on antibiotic use in this context make it difficult to develop a consensus of how to comparably monitor antibiotic prescribing patterns across secondary care. This review will aim to document and critically evaluate methods and measures to monitor antibiotic use in secondary care.Methods and analysisWe will search Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and websites of key organisations for published reports where an attempt to measure antibiotic usage among adult inpatients in high-income hospital settings has been made. Two independent reviewers will screen the studies for eligibility, extract data and assess the study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A description of the methods and measures used in antibiotic consumption surveillance will be presented. An adaptation of the Affordability, Practicability, Effectiveness, Acceptability, Side-effects Equity framework will be used to consider the practicality of implementing different approaches to measuring antibiotic usage in secondary care settings. A descriptive comparison of definitions and estimates of (in)appropriate antibiotic usage will also be carried out.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for this study as no primary data will be collected. The results will be published in relevant peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences or meetings where possible. This review will inform future approaches to scale up antibiotic consumption surveillance strategies to attempt to maximise impact through standardisation.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018103375

scholarly journals Study of antimicrobial use in paediatric inpatients in a tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Hetal N. Jeeyani ◽  
Rutvik H. Parikh ◽  
Sheena Sivanandan ◽  
Harsh J. Muliya ◽  
Shivam N. Badiyani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Prescribing Indicators ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Mean

Background: Inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics are important factors leading to increased bacterial resistance apart from increased risk of adverse reactions. The aim of this study was to derive antibiotic use percentage, study its pattern and compare antibiotic prescribing indicators with standard indicators.Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from 1st August 2018 to 31st July 2019 on paediatric inpatients from 1 month to 14 years. All the relevant data was taken from the case records of patients at the time of discharge. The data included: age, sex, hospital stay, clinical diagnosis and details of antimicrobial treatment.Results: From 989 patients, 85.9% were diagnosed with infectious illness, of which 60.1% had viral and 36.7% had bacterial infection. The use of antimicrobial drugs was 42.7% and antibiotics was 40.4%. The mean number of antibiotics received was 1.13±0.31. 90% patients received single antibiotic. 88.8% drugs were prescribed by generic name and 99% drugs were prescribed from essential drug formulary. 17 different antibiotics were used out of which ceftriaxone (62.5%) was the most commonly used. Groupwise, antibiotic use was cephalosporins (68.4%), penicillin (20.2%), aminoglycosides (4.31%), fluoroquinolones (0.9%) and macrolides (0.22%). The use of higher antibiotics like vancomycin (3.86%) and carbapenems (0.68%) was quite less.Conclusions: The antibiotic use in our hospital was higher than the WHO standard but less as compared to majority of other studies. Use of cephalosporins was more and penicillin was less as compared to other studies. This suggests that there is a need of implementing antibiotic stewardship programs to enhance rational antibiotic prescribing.

scholarly journals Trends and patterns of antibiotic prescribing at orthopedic inpatient departments of two private-sector hospitals in Central India: A 10-year observational study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245902
Author(s):  
Kristina Skender ◽  
Vivek Singh ◽  
Cecilia Stalsby-Lundborg ◽  
Megha Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Design Patterns ◽  
Central India ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
World Health ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Defined Daily Doses

Background Frequent antibiotic prescribing in departments with high infection risk like orthopedics prominently contributes to the global increase of antibiotic resistance. However, few studies present antibiotic prescribing patterns and trends among orthopedic inpatients. Aim To compare and present the patterns and trends of antibiotic prescription over 10 years for orthopedic inpatients in a teaching (TH) and a non-teaching hospital (NTH) in Central India. Methods Data from orthopedic inpatients (TH-6446; NTH-4397) were collected using a prospective cross-sectional study design. Patterns were compared based on the indications and corresponding antibiotic treatments, mean Defined Daily Doses (DDD)/1000 patient-days, adherence to the National List of Essential Medicines India (NLEMI) and the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines (WHOMLEM). Antibiotic prescriptions were analyzed separately for the operated and the non-operated inpatients. Linear regression was used to analyze the time trends of antibiotic prescribing; in total through DDD/1000 patient-days and by antibiotic groups. Results Third generation cephalosporins were the most prescribed antibiotic class (TH-39%; NTH-65%) and fractures were the most common indications (TH-48%; NTH-48%). Majority of the operated inpatients (TH-99%; NTH-97%) were prescribed pre-operative prophylactic antibiotics. The non-operated inpatients were also prescribed antibiotics (TH-40%; NTH-75%), although few of them had infectious diagnoses (TH-8%; NTH-14%). Adherence to the NLEMI was lower (TH-31%; NTH-34%) than adherence to the WHOMLEM (TH-65%; NTH-62%) in both hospitals. Mean DDD/1000 patient-days was 16 times higher in the TH (2658) compared to the NTH (162). Total antibiotic prescribing increased over 10 years (TH-β = 3.23; NTH-β = 1.02). Conclusion Substantial number of inpatients were prescribed antibiotics without clear infectious indications. Adherence to the NLEMI and the WHOMLEM was low in both hospitals. Antibiotic use increased in both hospitals over 10 years and was higher in the TH than in the NTH. The need for developing and implementing local antibiotic prescribing guidelines is emphasized.

scholarly journals Diarrhoea and preadmission antibiotic exposure in COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study of 1153 hospitalised patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000593
Author(s):  
Bilal Akhter Mateen ◽  
Sandip Samanta ◽  
Sebastian Tullie ◽  
Sarah O’Neill ◽  
Zillah Cargill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Antibiotic Exposure ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Residual Confounding

ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to describe community antibiotic prescribing patterns in individuals hospitalised with COVID-19, and to determine the association between experiencing diarrhoea, stratified by preadmission exposure to antibiotics, and mortality risk in this cohort.Design/methodsRetrospective study of the index presentations of 1153 adult patients with COVID-19, admitted between 1 March 2020 and 29 June 2020 in a South London NHS Trust. Data on patients’ medical history (presence of diarrhoea, antibiotic use in the previous 14 days, comorbidities); demographics (age, ethnicity, and body mass index); and blood test results were extracted. Time to event modelling was used to determine the risk of mortality for patients with diarrhoea and/or exposure to antibiotics.Results19.2% of the cohort reported diarrhoea on presentation; these patients tended to be younger, and were less likely to have recent exposure to antibiotics (unadjusted OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.97). 19.1% of the cohort had a course of antibiotics in the 2 weeks preceding admission; this was associated with dementia (unadjusted OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.49). After adjusting for confounders, neither diarrhoea nor recent antibiotic exposure was associated with increased mortality risk. However, the absence of diarrhoea in the presence of recent antibiotic exposure was associated with a 30% increased risk of mortality.ConclusionCommunity antibiotic use in patients with COVID-19, prior to hospitalisation, is relatively common, and absence of diarrhoea in antibiotic-exposed patients may be associated with increased risk of mortality. However, it is unclear whether this represents a causal physiological relationship or residual confounding.

scholarly journals Outpatient antibiotic prescribing and demographic factors associated with state-level septicemia mortality rates in US adults

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Goldstein ◽  
Marc Lipsitch
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Sepsis Mortality ◽  
Elderly Age ◽  
Average Annual Temperature

AbstractBackgroundRates of septicemia/sepsis mortality and hospitalization in the US have risen significantly during the recent years, and antibiotic use may contribute to those rates through various mechanisms.MethodsWe used multivariable linear regression to relate state-specific rates of outpatient prescribing overall for fluoroquinolones, penicillins, macrolides, and cephalosporins between 2013-2014 to state-specific rates of septicemia mortality (ICD-10 codes A40-41 present as either the underlying or contributing causes of death) in each of the following age groups of adults: (18-49y, 50-64y, 65-74y, 75-84y, 85+y) between 2013-2014, adjusting for median household income, average annual temperature, age-specific percentages of state residents who (i) lived below the poverty level, (ii) were African American, (iii) lacked health insurance (in non-elderly age groups), and random effects associated with the different US Health and Human Services (HHS) regions.ResultsRates of penicillin prescribing were positively associated with septicemia mortality rates in the analyses for persons aged 65-74y, 75-84y and over 85y. Rates of cephalosporin prescribing were positively associated with septicemia mortality rates in the analyses for persons aged 18-49y and 65-74y. Rates of fluoroquinolone prescribing were positively associated with septicemia mortality rates in the analyses for persons aged 18-49y. Percent African Americans in a given age group was positively associated with septicemia mortality rates in the analyses for age groups over 65y, and 18-49y. Percent of residents in a given age group living below the poverty level was positively associated with septicemia mortality rates in the analysis for persons aged 65-74y.ConclusionsOur results suggest that rates of penicillin prescribing are associated with rates of septicemia mortality in older US adults, while rates of cephalosporin prescribing are associated with rates of septicemia mortality in persons aged 18-49y and 65-74y, and rates of fluoroquinolone prescribing are associated with rates of septicemia mortality in persons aged 18-49y. Further studies are needed to better understand the potential effect of antibiotic replacement in the treatment of different syndromes, such as replacement of fluoroquinolones by other antibiotics, possibly penicillins and cephalosporins following the recent US FDA guidelines on restriction of fluoroquinolone use, on the rates of sepsis mortality.

scholarly journals 214. Antibiotic Use for Common Infections in British Columbia: A Review of Outpatient Prescribing from 2000 - 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S109-S109
Author(s):  
Ariana Saatchi ◽  
David M Patrick ◽  
Andrew Morris ◽  
Michael Silverman ◽  
Marcus Povitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Outpatient Setting ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
New Targets ◽  
Common Infections

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance continues to jeopardize the future of modern medicine; as 92% of all antibiotics are used in the community, it is imperative to parse outpatient prescribing. In British Columbia (BC), efforts to curb the use of these essential medications have included: stewardship campaigns, practitioner guidelines, and vaccine scheduling amendments. This study reviews the trends in antibiotic use over the past two decades to identify new targets for Provincial stewardship and intervention. Methods Antibiotic prescription information was extracted from PharmaNet, a centralized data system that links all pharmacies with prescriptions dispensed in the community setting. The Medical Service Plan records reimbursement claims submitted by physicians for services provided, including diagnostic codes. Antibiotic prescriptions were extracted from PharmaNet and then matched to the billing system using anonymized patient identifiers. Prescription rates were calculated, and trends were examined by major anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification. Results Our study included 3,564,258 individuals over an 18-year period, with a total of 26,108,576 antibiotic prescriptions issued, for common infections. Overall antibiotic utilization decreased 18% (from 228 to 187 prescriptions per 1000 population) over the course of the study period. This trend was reflected in both Beta-Lactam (-37%) and Macrolide (-50%) antibiotics; two of the most common classes prescribed in the outpatient setting. A significant outlier was the J01X class of Other Antibacterials, which increased by a staggering 218%, by 2018. Further analyses are currently underway to stratify these changes in magnitude by demographic variables to identify specific, new targets for stewardship. Rates of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions, for common infections, per 1000 population, by major ATC class, over time. Conclusion Outpatient antibiotic prescribing has decreased steadily since 2000. These promising results can be ascribed to the various Provincial initiatives to quell the misuse of these medications. However, many of the indications tied to these prescriptions do not warrant the use of antibiotics, and further analyses are necessary to evaluate prescribing quality to fully delineate the state of antibiotic use in BC. Next steps also include comparing BC rates with Ontario, another large province of Canada. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Antibiotic Use Among Hospitalized Children and Neonates in China: Results From Quarterly Point Prevalence Surveys in 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chu-ning Wang ◽  
Jianning Tong ◽  
Bin Yi ◽  
Benedikt D. Huttner ◽  
Yibing Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Point Prevalence ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Hospitalized Children ◽  
Prevalence Survey ◽  
Common Diagnosis ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The Impact

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a significant clinical problem in pediatric practice in China. Surveillance of antibiotic use is one of the cornerstones to assess the quality of antibiotic use and plan and assess the impact of antibiotic stewardship interventions.Methods: We carried out quarterly point prevalence surveys referring to WHO Methodology of Point Prevalence Survey in 16 Chinese general and children’s hospitals in 2019 to assess antibiotic use in pediatric inpatients based on the WHO AWaRe metrics and to detect potential problem areas. Data were retrieved via the hospital information systems on the second Monday of March, June, September and December. Antibiotic prescribing patterns were analyzed across and within diagnostic conditions and ward types according to WHO AWaRe metrics and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification.Results: A total of 22,327 hospitalized children were sampled, of which 14,757 (66.1%) were prescribed ≥1 antibiotic. Among the 3,936 sampled neonates (≤1 month), 59.2% (n = 2,331) were prescribed ≥1 antibiotic. A high percentage of combination antibiotic therapy was observed in PICUs (78.5%), pediatric medical wards (68.1%) and surgical wards (65.2%). For hospitalized children prescribed ≥1 antibiotic, the most common diagnosis on admission were lower respiratory tract infections (43.2%, n = 6,379). WHO Watch group antibiotics accounted for 70.4% of prescriptions (n = 12,915). The most prescribed antibiotic ATC classes were third-generation cephalosporins (41.9%, n = 7,679), followed by penicillins/β-lactamase inhibitors (16.1%, n = 2,962), macrolides (12.1%, n = 2,214) and carbapenems (7.7%, n = 1,331).Conclusion: Based on these data, overuse of broad-spectrum Watch group antibiotics is common in Chinese pediatric inpatients. Specific interventions in the context of the national antimicrobial stewardship framework should aim to reduce the use of Watch antibiotics and routine surveillance of antibiotic use using WHO AWaRe metrics should be implemented.

Antimicrobial use at the end of life: a scoping review

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002558
Author(s):  
Jack Fairweather ◽  
Lesley Cooper ◽  
Jacqueline Sneddon ◽  
R Andrew Seaton
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Ovid Medline ◽  
Tract Infections

ObjectiveTo examine antibiotic use in patients approaching end of life, in terms of frequency of prescription, aim of treatment, beneficial and adverse effects and contribution to the development of antimicrobial resistance.DesignScoping reviewData sourcesAn information scientist searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, The Cochrane library, PubMed Clinical Queries, NHS Evidence, Epistemonikos, SIGN, NICE, Google Scholar from inception to February 2019 for any study design including, but not limited to, randomised clinical trials, prospective interventional or observational studies, retrospective studies and qualitative studies. The search of Ovid MEDLINE was updated on the 10 June 2020.Study selectionStudies reporting antibiotic use in patients approaching end of life in any setting and clinicians’ attitudes and behaviour in relation to antibiotic prescribing in this populationData extractionTwo reviewers screened studies for eligibility; two reviewers extracted data from included studies. Data were analysed to describe antibiotic prescribing patterns across different patient populations, the benefits and adverse effects (for individual patients and wider society), the rationale for decision making and clinicians behaviours and attitudes to treatment with antibiotics in this patient group.ResultsEighty-eight studies were included. Definition of the end of life is highly variable as is use of antibiotics in patients approaching end of life. Prescribing decisions are influenced by patient age, primary diagnosis, care setting and therapy goals, although patients’ preferences are not always documented or adhered to. Urinary and lower respiratory tract infections are the most commonly reported indications with outcomes in terms of symptom control and survival variably reported. Small numbers of studies reported on adverse events and antimicrobial resistance. Clinicians sometimes feel uncomfortable discussing antibiotic treatment at end of life and would benefit from guidelines to direct care.ConclusionsUse of antibiotics in patients approaching the end of life is common although there is significant variation in practice. There are a myriad of intertwined biological, ethical, social, medicolegal and clinical issues associated with the topic.

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