Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients
Abstract Objective: To assess whether antibiotic duration (AD) and one-year antibiotic-free days (AFD) are associated with key in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes among critically ill adults. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: 611-bed, quaternary care academic medical center...
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| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2732494X25100545/type/journal_article |
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| author | Parker Burrows Ruth-Ann Brown Abigail Samuelsen Anthony S. Bonavia |
| author_facet | Parker Burrows Ruth-Ann Brown Abigail Samuelsen Anthony S. Bonavia |
| author_sort | Parker Burrows |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Objective:
To assess whether antibiotic duration (AD) and one-year antibiotic-free days (AFD) are associated with key in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes among critically ill adults.
Design:
Prospective observational study.
Setting:
611-bed, quaternary care academic medical center in the United States.
Patients:
126 critically ill adults (mean age 68.1 ± 15.6 yr, 51.6% male, median APACHE II score 20.5 [IQR 15–25]); 71.4% met sepsis criteria.
Methods:
Secondary infection was defined as ≥3 consecutive antibiotic days within a year after the index sepsis admission. Multivariate analyses adjusted for age, APACHE II score, BMI, and glucocorticosteroid dose. Time-to-event analysis employed Cox proportional hazards modeling; cumulative infection burden was assessed via nonparametric tests using normalized antibiotic exposure (AD as a proportion of days alive).
Results:
Within 30 days, longer AD correlated with increased hospital stay; each additional antibiotic day added ∼0.93 hospital days (P < 0.001) in adjusted linear regression. AD did not predict one-year mortality (OR 1.01, P = 0.739) or readmission (OR 1.01, P = 0.771). Normalized antibiotic exposure significantly differed by cumulative secondary infection episodes (P = 0.0033), with higher exposure among patients experiencing two or more secondary infections (P = 0.026 and P = 0.036, respectively). Cox regression showed a significant association between AD and time to first secondary infection (HR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04–1.15, P = 0.001), indicating that longer AD predisposed to secondary infection or recurrent antibiotic use.
Conclusions:
Extended AD, in critically ill patients, prolongs hospitalization without reducing mortality or readmission rates. These findings highlight the importance of robust antibiotic stewardship practices, where shorter, targeted regimens may minimize unintended complications.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a1c1e352b4d347178a71ffbd9f3a7c02 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2732-494X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a1c1e352b4d347178a71ffbd9f3a7c022025-08-20T03:23:08ZengCambridge University PressAntimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology2732-494X2025-01-01510.1017/ash.2025.10054Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patientsParker Burrows0Ruth-Ann Brown1Abigail Samuelsen2Anthony S. Bonavia3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9596-001XDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17036, USADepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17036, USAInstitut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, Cedex, FranceDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17036, USA Critical Illness and Sepsis Research Center (CISRC), Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA Abstract Objective: To assess whether antibiotic duration (AD) and one-year antibiotic-free days (AFD) are associated with key in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes among critically ill adults. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: 611-bed, quaternary care academic medical center in the United States. Patients: 126 critically ill adults (mean age 68.1 ± 15.6 yr, 51.6% male, median APACHE II score 20.5 [IQR 15–25]); 71.4% met sepsis criteria. Methods: Secondary infection was defined as ≥3 consecutive antibiotic days within a year after the index sepsis admission. Multivariate analyses adjusted for age, APACHE II score, BMI, and glucocorticosteroid dose. Time-to-event analysis employed Cox proportional hazards modeling; cumulative infection burden was assessed via nonparametric tests using normalized antibiotic exposure (AD as a proportion of days alive). Results: Within 30 days, longer AD correlated with increased hospital stay; each additional antibiotic day added ∼0.93 hospital days (P < 0.001) in adjusted linear regression. AD did not predict one-year mortality (OR 1.01, P = 0.739) or readmission (OR 1.01, P = 0.771). Normalized antibiotic exposure significantly differed by cumulative secondary infection episodes (P = 0.0033), with higher exposure among patients experiencing two or more secondary infections (P = 0.026 and P = 0.036, respectively). Cox regression showed a significant association between AD and time to first secondary infection (HR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04–1.15, P = 0.001), indicating that longer AD predisposed to secondary infection or recurrent antibiotic use. Conclusions: Extended AD, in critically ill patients, prolongs hospitalization without reducing mortality or readmission rates. These findings highlight the importance of robust antibiotic stewardship practices, where shorter, targeted regimens may minimize unintended complications. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2732494X25100545/type/journal_article |
| spellingShingle | Parker Burrows Ruth-Ann Brown Abigail Samuelsen Anthony S. Bonavia Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology |
| title | Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients |
| title_full | Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients |
| title_fullStr | Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients |
| title_short | Association between in-hospital antibiotic use and long-term outcomes in critically ill patients |
| title_sort | association between in hospital antibiotic use and long term outcomes in critically ill patients |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2732494X25100545/type/journal_article |
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