Dermatologists prescribe more antibiotics as a result of surgical visits



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The prescription of antibiotics by dermatologists has "dramatically decreased" in recent years, mainly due to a decrease in prescriptions for acne and rosacea, but they prescribe more antibiotic treatments to the following surgical visits, a practice that should be evaluated, the researchers said.

"Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern for the effectiveness of treatments for dermatological diseases and for the treatment of infectious diseases. Dermatologists prescribe more cycles of oral antibiotics per clinician than any other specialty, and many of these antibiotics are prescribed for several months, John S. Barbieri, MD, MBA, Dermatologist and postdoctoral researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues wrote.

"Oral antibiotics are frequently used to treat acne, rosacea and other inflammatory conditions because of their potential anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, dermatologists also prescribe perioperative and postoperative oral antibiotics to prevent surgical complications. This use of antibiotics can have clinical consequences, including the development of antimicrobial resistance. "

Barbieri and colleagues explained that, although antibiotics are prescribed for various conditions, the frequency and duration of oral antibiotic use for conditions other than acne do not occur. have not been well defined. For their study, they used commercial claims data to badyze the prescribing practices of dermatologists between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2016.

The results of the study showed that between 2008 and 2016, 11,986 dermatologists had prescribed 985,866 oral antibiotics. During the study period, the overall prescription of antibiotics decreased by 36.6% from 3.36 to 2.13 treatments prescribed per 100 visits. Barbieri and his colleagues reported that most of this decrease involved prolonged courses on acne and rosacea. But they also found that the use of oral antibiotics badociated with surgical visits had increased by 69.6% from 3.92 to 6.65 courses per 100 visits.

"While dermatologists were once the most frequent antibiotic prescribers per clinician, the prescription of antibiotics by dermatologists is declining, particularly for prolonged antibiotic treatments given to patients with severe pain." chronic dermatological conditions, such as acne and rosacea. Opportunities may exist to further improve antibiotic management, and the CDC has developed a framework to improve antibiotic management in ambulatory settings, "the authors concluded.

"There is increasing use of prolonged postoperative antibiotics badociated with surgical visits, which can expose patients to unnecessary risk of adverse events, given the evidence available and the recommendations of the guideline. Further studies are needed to identify the value of this practice with regard to patient outcomes and antibiotic management. "- by Caitlyn Stulpin

Disclosures: The authors do not report any relevant financial information.

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