ArticleThe Korean journal of internal medicine2023
Antibiotics use patterns in end-of-life cancer patients and medical staff's perception of antimicrobial stewardship programs.
Article in The Korean journal of internal medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antibiotic prescription for older patients in end-of-life care: a randomized survey among physicians in Switzerland.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- A Retrospective Review of Antimicrobial Usage and Indications at End-of-Life for Oncology Patients in a Tertiary Cancer Center in Saudi Arabia.Saudi medical journal · 2026Article
- Antimicrobials in serious illness and end-of-life care: lifting the veil of silence.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2025Review
- End-of-Life Infections and the Dilemma of Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance: A Scoping Review.Infection & chemotherapy · 2025Review
- Current trends in antimicrobial use and the role of antimicrobial stewardship in palliative oncology: a narrative review.BMC palliative care · 2025Review
- Implementing antimicrobial stewardship: lessons and perspectives from a university-affiliated tertiary hospital in Korea.The Korean journal of internal medicine · 2024Article
- Trends of antibiotic use at the end-of-life of cancer and non-cancer decedents: a nationwide population-based longitudinal study (2006-2018).Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
aimsWhile most cancer patients with end-of-life (EOL) care receive antibiotic treatments, antibiotic use should be decided appropriately considering the benefits, side effects, resistance, and cost effects. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are important for patients with EOL care, but there is limited study analyzing actual antibiotic use in EOL care and the perceptions of Korean medical staff.
methodsElectronic medical records of 149 deceased cancer patients hospitalized in the medical hospitalist units at Asan Medical Center in Seoul from May 2019 to September 2021 were reviewed. Basic information, antibiotic use, duration, and changes were investigated. We surveyed medical staff's perceptions of antibiotics in cancer patients with EOL.
resultsOf the 149 cancer patients with EOL care, 146 (98.0%) agreed with physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST). In total, 143 (95.9%) received antibiotics, 110 (76.9%) received combination antibiotic treatment, and 116 (81.1%) were given antibiotics until the day of death. In a survey of 60 medical staff, 42 (70.0%) did not know about ASP, and 24 (40.0%) thought ASP was important in EOL care. Nineteen doctors (31.7%) discussed the use or discontinuation of antibiotics with patients or caregivers when writing POLST, but only 8 patients (5.6%) stopped antibiotics after POLST.
conclusionMost cancer patients with EOL care continue to receive antibiotics until just before their death. A careful approach is needed, considering the benefits and side effects of antibiotic use, and the patient's right to self-decision. It is necessary to actively improve awareness of ASP and its importance for medical staff.
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