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Most data on use and misuse of antibiotics come from outpatient or acute care inpatient settings. Nursing homes often lack the usual pharmacy surveillance infrastructure and can fly under the radar. To establish a representative baseline for antibiotic use in U.S. nursing homes, the CDC conducted a point-prevalence study during the spring and summer of 2017 (specifically timed to avoid influenza season).
Among 15,000 residents of 160 nursing homes in 10 states, 8 of every 100 residents were receiving antibiotics on any given day. Use was highest among recently admitted residents, residents admitted from acute care hospitals, and those with medical devices (including indwelling central lines and urinary catheters). The most frequent acute inf…