Delayed Initiation Of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics Not Associated With Poor Clinical Outcomes Among Adult Inpatients, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (4/21, Nye) reports a study found that “delayed initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy is not associated with poor clinical outcomes among adult inpatients.” Researchers observed that “clinical outcomes among adult inpatients were no worse when broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was delayed vs started early, challenging the belief that overly broad-spectrum empiric antibiotic therapy is the safer treatment option.” Further analysis of clinical outcomes between the delayed and early therapy groups “indicated delayed initiation of broad-spectrum therapy was favored for patients with pneumonia or urinary tract infection but not for those sepsis. Delayed initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotics was also favored among patients with no critical illness but not among those with critical illness.” The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.