Analysis of antibiotic use in a large network of emergency departments

More than 627,000 unique patient encounters and 780,000 antibiotic administrations were assessed for trends in patient demographics, antibiotics administered for a diagnosis of infectious origin, and corresponding susceptibility patterns. Results indicated that practices in the EDs of this health system aligned with evidence-based practices for streptococcal pharyngitis, otitis media, cellulitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections.