Effects of an Initial Single Dose of Intravenous Antibiotics on Emergency Department Revisits Among Elderly Patients with Urinary Tract Infections

Ho Sub Chung, Sung Jin Bae, Myeong Namgung, Yoon Hee Choi, Jae Young Choi, Dong Hoon Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the second most common infectious disease among older adults. It is important that the treatment strategy used for older patients with UTIs in the emergency department (ED) be adequate. The effectiveness of an initial single dose of intravenous antibiotics in the ED for treating UTIs has not been extensively studied. Therefore, we investigated the clinical outcomes of single-dose intravenous antibiotic administration before discharge from the ED in elderly patients with UTIs. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted among patients who visited two academic tertiary hospitals in Seoul, South Korea. We included all patients older than 65 years of age with UTI who visited the ED and were directly discharged between 1 January and 31 December 2019 (n = 429). The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received a single dose of intravenous antibiotics before ED discharge. Results: Patients who received intravenous antibiotics had a higher 72-hour revisit rate (43 [15.4%] vs 10 [6.7%], p =.009) and a longer mean duration of therapy (total days of antibiotics use) (11 [4.00 – 15.00] vs 5 [3.00 – 11.00], p <.001) than patients who received only oral antibiotics. However, the rate of admission after revisits did not differ significantly between the groups (27 [62.8%] vs 5 [50.0%], p =.492). Conclusion: Older patients with severe UTIs were prescribed intravenous antibiotics in the ED. Decisions on admission or discharge should be made carefully for older patients with UTIs who are prescribed intravenous antibiotics in the ED.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)135-140
Number of pages6
JournalUrology Journal
Volume20
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023,Urology Journal. All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

  • administration intravenous
  • anti-bacterial agents
  • emergency department
  • infusions
  • intravenous
  • older adults
  • parenteral
  • urinary tract infection

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of an Initial Single Dose of Intravenous Antibiotics on Emergency Department Revisits Among Elderly Patients with Urinary Tract Infections'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this