Are NICU Antibiotics Overused?

Suspected, yet unproven infections driving antibiotic use in many NICUs. Antibiotic use across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in California varied considerably across facilities, irregardless of infection rates, researchers reported. Among 93% of California NICUs, the rate of antibiotic use varied 40-fold between centers, with intermediate level NICUs showing the greatest use, Joseph Schulman, MD, Director, NICU Quality Measurement and Improvement/California Children's Services, an agency within the state's department of health, and colleagues, reported in Pediatrics. http://www.medpagetoday.com/HospitalBasedMedicine/InfectionControl/51078?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-04-21&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&mu_id=5883165