Upstream Intervention Effective in Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Prescriptions

Diagnostic stewardship is more effective than antibiotic stewardship at reducing unnecessary antibiotic use for patients treated for urinary tract infections who have asymptomatic bacteriuria, according to research presented at IDWeek. UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections and a significant driver of global antimicrobial resistance.

In a four-year study across 46 hospitals that implemented pay-for-performance metrics related to unnecessary treatment of ASB, the percentage of patients treated with antibiotics for UTIs who had ASB declined from 29.0% to 16.9%. Diagnostic stewardship — making sure patients receive the right tests at the right time — appeared responsible for nearly all improvement.