TABLE 2.
Assessment of antibiotic prescribing among inpatients in 36 hospitals treated for urinary tract infection (UTI) without indwelling catheter or treated with intravenous vancomycin — Emerging Infections Program health-care–associated infections and antimicrobial use prevalence survey, United States, 2011
| Treatment | No. | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Patients treated for UTI present on admission, without indwelling catheter | 111 | — |
| Urine culture was not ordered, although standard practice before treatment | 18 | (16.2) |
| Urine culture was positive, but no documented symptoms were present | 23 | (20.7) |
| Urine culture was negative, and no documented symptoms were present | 3 | (2.7) |
| No. of patients with potential for improvement in prescribing | 44 | (39.6) |
| Patients treated with intravenous vancomycin | 185 | — |
| No diagnostic culture obtained around antibiotic initiation, although standard practice with most infections | 17 | (9.2) |
| Diagnostic culture showed no Gram-positive bacterial growth, but patient still treated for long duration (>3 days) (excludes presumed SSTI, which often can be culture negative) | 40 | (21.6) |
| Diagnostic culture grew only oxacillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, but patient still treated for long duration (>3 days) (likely missed opportunity to switch antibiotic based on culture result) | 9 | (4.9) |
| No. of patients with potential for improvement in prescribing | 66 | (35.7) |
| Combined UTI or vancomycin prescribing | 296 | — |
| Total no. of patients with potential for improvement in prescribing | 110 | (37.2) |
Abbreviation: SSTI = skin and soft tissue infection.