SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Reducing Antibiotic Durations in Community Acquired Pneumonia

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This quality improvement project addressed unnecessary antibiotic duration in adults with community-acquired pneumonia across a multi-hospital system. The CDC and IDSA recommend antibiotic stewardship, and IDSA guidelines support a 5-day course for uncomplicated pneumonia, yet many patients receive longer treatment.<br /><br />The project included adults discharged from the emergency department or admitted to the hospitalist service. The goal was to increase the percentage of patients receiving a total of 5 antibiotic days from under 50% to at least 75%, and to sustain improvement for at least 6 months.<br /><br />Two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were used. First, the team provided education and built electronic medical record tools to make antibiotic duration more visible at discharge, encourage 5-day courses, and support proper antibiotic selection, including for patients with penicillin allergies. Baseline data were shared with both emergency and inpatient teams. In the second cycle, a pneumonia clinical practice guideline was introduced, along with additional provider education and feedback to underperforming areas.<br /><br />Results showed meaningful improvement. Among emergency department patients with pneumonia, the proportion receiving a 5-day antibiotic course increased from about 47% to 68%, and the gains were sustained for more than 12 months, with further improvement after the second cycle. Among eligible inpatients on the hospitalist service, the proportion receiving 5 days of therapy increased from about 45% to 70%.<br /><br />Overall, the intervention successfully reduced excess antibiotic treatment duration for community-acquired pneumonia. The project demonstrates that coordinated stewardship efforts between emergency medicine and hospital medicine can improve guideline-concordant antibiotic use and support safer, more appropriate care.

Asset Subtitle

Stephanie Burdick

Meta Tag

Author List Stephanie Burdick

Category Innovations

Concept Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Concept Antimicrobial Stewardship

Concept Treatment Duration

Concept Antibiotic Resistance

Concept Five-Day Course

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Corewell Health

Presenting Author Stephanie Burdick

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

community-acquired pneumonia

antibiotic stewardship

quality improvement

5-day antibiotic course

CDC guidelines

IDSA guidelines

emergency department

hospitalist service

electronic medical record

plan-do-study-act cycles

Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Antimicrobial Stewardship

Treatment Duration

Antibiotic Resistance

Five-Day Course