Cleveland Clinic Children's Outcomes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that out of nearly 154 million outpatient antibiotic prescriptions issued each year, approximately 30% are unnecessary. To that end, the Cleveland Clinic Antimicrobial Stewardship committee, in collaboration with the Office Clinical Compliance, has begun tracking the appropriateness of prescriptions for 5 common diagnoses: otitis media, pharyngitis, sinusitis, urinary tract infection and upper respiratory tract infections. The committee evaluates whether diagnostic codes and prescriptions were consistent with clinical practice guidelines, and whether prescriptions were consistent with patient allergy to penicillin, if applicable. The committee does not consider micro-biologic data, additional antibiotic allergies, previous treatment failures, or other patient-specific factors.

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