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Background In the 2011 US hospital prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use 50% of patients received antimicrobial medications on the survey date or day before. More hospitals have since established antimicrobial stewardship programs. We repeated the survey in 2015 to determine antimicrobial use prevalence and describe changes since 2011. Methods The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infections Program sites in 10 states each recruited ≤25 general and women’s and children’s hospitals. Hospitals selected a survey date from May–September 2015. Medical records for a random patient sample on the survey date were reviewed to collect data on antimicrobial medications administered on the survey date or day before. Percentages of patients on antimicrobial medications were compared; multivariable log-binomial regression modeling was used to evaluate factors associated with antimicrobial use. Results Of 12 299 patients in 199 hospitals, 6084 (49.5%; 95% CI, 48.6–50.4%) received antimicrobials. Among 148 hospitals in both surveys, overall antimicrobial use prevalence was similar in 2011 and 2015, although the percentage of neonatal critical care patients on antimicrobials was lower in 2015 (22.8% vs 32.0% [2011]; P = .006). Fluoroquinolone use was lower in 2015 (10.1% of patients vs 11.9% [2011]; P < .001). Third- or fourth-generation cephalosporin use was higher (12.2% vs 10.7% [2011]; P = .002), as was carbapenem use (3.7% vs 2.7% [2011]; P < .001). Conclusions Overall hospital antimicrobial use prevalence was not different in 2011 and 2015; however, differences observed in selected patient or antimicrobial groups may provide evidence of stewardship impact.

This cross-sectional study evaluates the appropriateness of antimicrobial use for hospitalized patients treated for community-acquired pneumonia or a urinary tract infection present at admission or for patients who had received fluoroquinolone or intravenous vancomycin treatment.

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