Out of the 517 patients for whom a causative organism was identified, 39.5 percent (204) were inappropriately prescribed antibiotics initially. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) in collaboration with the Korean Society of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases unveiled concerning findings about the misuse of antibiotics in adults who developed pneumonia within two days of hospitalization or ventilator use.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia, defined as pneumonia occurring 48 hours after either scenario, was the focal point of this investigation.
The study encompassed 477,734 adult patients aged 19 years and older, admitted to 16 general and tertiary hospitals in Korea during the first quarter of 2019. Of this group, 1,196 patients developed hospital-acquired pneumonia, with an incidence rate of 2.50 cases per 1,000.
Out of the 517 patients for whom a causative organism was identified, 39.5 percent (204) were inappropriately prescribed antibiotics initially. In essence, these patients received antibiotics early in their treatment regimen based on a physician’s empirical judgment, but the prescribed antibiotics did not effectively target the causative organism.
Furthermore, 30 percent of the patients (359 out of 1,196) experienced treatment failures, and 28.7 percent of the affected individuals sadly did not survive.
Citing data from overseas research, the KDCA revealed that patients with underlying medical conditions, multidrug-resistant bacteria, and those using ventilators or at risk of aspiration faced a significantly higher risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia, with rates ranging from 2.3 to 12.3 times higher.
The financial burden of prolonged hospitalization was estimated at $28 billion to $45 billion annually, with mortality rates reaching as high as 25.1 percent. This study underscores the potential benefits of adhering to proper guidelines, which can lead to shorter hospitalization, fewer ventilator days, and lower costs.
In response to these findings, KDCA has published “Guidelines for the Treatment and Use of Antibiotics for Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults,” which is applicable to medical institutions at or above the general hospital level.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
