Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28930045›Full record

ArticleCanadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie2017

Antibiotic use among older adults on an acute care general surgery service.

André S Pollmann, Jon G Bailey, Philip J B Davis, Paul M Johnson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

André S PollmannFrom the Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Pollmann, Bailey, Davis, Johnson); and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Bailey, Davis, Johnson).
Jon G BaileyFrom the Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Pollmann, Bailey, Davis, Johnson); and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Bailey, Davis, Johnson).
Philip J B DavisFrom the Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Pollmann, Bailey, Davis, Johnson); and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Bailey, Davis, Johnson).
Paul M JohnsonFrom the Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Pollmann, Bailey, Davis, Johnson); and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (Bailey, Davis, Johnson).

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntibiotics play an important role in the treatment of many surgical diseases that affect older adults, and the potential for inappropriate use of these drugs is high. Our objective was to describe antibiotic use among older adults admitted to an acute care surgery service at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

methodsDetailed data regarding diagnosis, comorbidities, surgery and antibiotic use were retrospectively collected for patients 70 years and older admitted to an acute care surgery service. We evaluated antibiotic use (perioperative prophylaxis and treatment) for appropriateness based on published guidelines.

resultsDuring the study period 453 patients were admitted to the acute care surgery service, and 229 underwent surgery. The most common diagnoses were small bowel obstruction (27.2%) and acute cholecystitis (11.0%). In total 251 nonelective abdominal operations were performed, and perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis was appropriate in 49.5% of cases. The most common prophylaxis errors were incorrect timing (15.5%) and incorrect dose (12.4%). Overall 206 patients received treatment with antibiotics for their underlying disease process, and 44.2% received appropriate first-line drug therapy. The most common therapeutic errors were administration of second- or third-line antibiotics without indication (37.9%) and use of antibiotics when not indicated (12.1%). There was considerable variation in the duration of treatment for patients with the same diagnoses.

conclusionInappropriate antibiotic use was common among older patients admitted to an acute care surgery service. Quality improvement initiatives are needed to ensure patients receive optimal care in this complex hospital environment.

Indexed as

Surgical Procedures, OperativeAgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntibiotic ProphylaxisCritical CareDrug UtilizationFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesSurgery Department, HospitalAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID28930045
PMCPMC5726967

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.