Up to 45% of physicians inappropriately prescribed antibiotics to outpatients with respiratory tract infections, according to study results published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Bronchitis was associated with the most inappropriate prescribing, with 71% of patients receiving antibiotics, followed by acute pharyngitis (50%) and nonspecific upper RTI (28%). These rates are consistent with previous data.
In addition, women were more frequently prescribed antibiotics than men; blacks were less likely to be overprescribed antibiotics than whites.
