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Continuous Improvement and the Expansion of Quality ... - NCQA

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S A f E T y A N D P o T E N T I A l W A S T E<br />

26<br />

N AT I o N A l C o M M I T T E E f o R Q U A l I T y A S S U R A N C E<br />

AVoIDANCE <strong>of</strong> ANTIbIoTIC TREATMENT<br />

IN ADUlTS WITH ACUTE bRoNCHITIS<br />

Acute bronchitis clinically presents as a cough lasting more than five days (typically, from<br />

one to three weeks). About 90 percent <strong>of</strong> cases are caused by a virus. 1,2 The Avoidance <strong>of</strong><br />

Antibiotic Treatment in Adults With Acute Bronchitis measure evaluates whe<strong>the</strong>r adults were<br />

treated appropriately by not receiving antibiotics, which are not indicated <strong>and</strong> may contribute to<br />

antibiotic resistance.<br />

• Acute bronchitis affects approximately<br />

5 percent <strong>of</strong> U.S. adults annually <strong>and</strong><br />

continues to rank among <strong>the</strong> top 10<br />

conditions for which patients seek treatment<br />

in clinical settings. 1<br />

• Antibiotics are prescribed in more than 60<br />

percent <strong>of</strong> bronchitis cases; <strong>of</strong> those, 80<br />

percent were unnecessary, according to <strong>the</strong><br />

Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong> Prevention<br />

(CDC) guidelines. 1,2 Antibiotic treatment<br />

is not usually appropriate for acute<br />

bronchitis, with <strong>the</strong> exception <strong>of</strong> comorbid<br />

diseases requiring antibiotics. 3<br />

<strong>the</strong> Case for <strong>Improvement</strong><br />

• More than $1.1 billion is spent annually<br />

on unnecessary antibiotics for respiratory<br />

infections in adults. 4<br />

• Treating drug-resistant pathogens poses<br />

a significant burden on <strong>the</strong> system<br />

through repeated health care visits <strong>and</strong><br />

greater risk <strong>of</strong> disease complications <strong>and</strong><br />

hospitalizations—which lead to increased<br />

health care costs. 5,6<br />

• Diminished effectiveness <strong>of</strong> antibiotics<br />

against bacterial infections, particularly<br />

for use in patients who may need <strong>the</strong>m<br />

to fight future, life-threatening bacterial<br />

infections, poses a significant public health<br />

concern. When resistance makes widelyused<br />

antibiotics ineffective, an alternative<br />

treatment may not be available, 7 or<br />

physicians may use more potent antibiotics,<br />

which are <strong>of</strong>ten more toxic <strong>and</strong> more<br />

expensive. This can result in longer hospital<br />

stays, more serious side effects <strong>and</strong><br />

increased financial burden on <strong>the</strong> system<br />

<strong>and</strong> on patients. 8<br />

HEdIs Measure definition<br />

This measure assesses <strong>the</strong> percentage <strong>of</strong><br />

adults 18–64 years <strong>of</strong> age with a diagnosis <strong>of</strong><br />

acute bronchitis who were not dispensed an<br />

antibiotic prescription on or three days after<br />

an episode. A higher rate indicates better<br />

performance.

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