Antimicrobial Stewardship: Shorter and Longer Courses of Antibiotics in Respiratory Tract Infection Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic at one English Foundation Trust.

Abstract

This study reveals that shorter duration of antibiotics demonstrates the same appropriateness for infections like CAP, HAP, and COPD as per local antimicrobial guidelines. Conversely, longer antibiotic durations didn't affect Bronchiectasis and Viral pneumonia appropriateness. • This highlights the potential importance of reassessing antibiotic therapy lengths to promote effective antimicrobial stewardship. In accordance with local antimicrobial guidelines, stewardship programs should consider shorter durations of antibiotic therapies to treat acute infections. Additional research is necessitated for managing patients with intricate medical histories. • This research compares the appropriateness of shorter versus longer antibiotic therapy duration, stratified by infection types and therapy duration. For Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), shorter durations (3 or 5 days) showed more appropriateness, with 60 instances, than longer ones (7, 8, or 10 days), with 34 instances. • Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) demonstrated greater suitability with a shorter 7-day course (52 instances) than a longer 10 or 15-day course (7 instances). With COPD, a 5-day course (14 instances) was more fitting than a 7-day one (6 instances). However, in the case of Ventilator-Acquired Pneumonia (VAP), Bronchiectasis, and Viral pneumonia, the duration didn't significantly affect appropriateness (Table 1). Table 1. The appropriateness of shorter versus longer antibiotic therapy duration, stratified by infection types and therapy duration.