Antimicrobial Use in Post-acute Care

Factors Associated with Antimicrobial Use in Nursing Homes: A Multilevel Model

“…Although the mean antimicrobial use rate of 4.8 antimicrobial courses/1,000 resident‐days is consistent with previous studies, 3–5,14 11% of the facilities in the current study had rates of 8 or more antimicrobial courses/1,000 resident‐days. Postacute facilities that provide skilled nursing and medical care (e.g., IV medications, wound care) have been shown to have substantially higher rates of antimicrobial prescribing than other types of nursing homes 6 . In the current study, strong risk factors for antimicrobial use included exposure to urinary catheters, clinically complex or extensive medical or rehabilitation services, and short‐term discharge potential.…”

“…The Baby Boom generation is aging, and by 2030, an estimated 5.3 million people will be nursing home eligible 2 . Although there are no national data on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in nursing homes, the few studies that have been published suggest that antimicrobial use ranges from 4 to 7 courses/1,000 resident‐days in traditional nursing home populations 3–5 and as high as 29 antimicrobial courses/1,000 resident‐days in facilities providing postacute care 6 . This translates into 2 to 4 million courses of antimicrobials in nursing homes each year and makes up approximately 40% of all systemic drugs prescribed in that setting.…”