Prevalence of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions among US ambulatory care visits, 2010–2011.

Fleming-Dutra KE, Hersh AL, Shapiro DJ, et al. JAMA. 2016;315:1864-1873.

More than 12% of all outpatient visits in the United States in 2010–2011 resulted in an antibiotic prescription, of which approximately 30% were inappropriate, according to this population-based analysis. Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing increases the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections and is a recognized patient safety risk. A WebM&M commentary discusses catastrophic complications resulting from an inappropriate antibiotic prescription for sinusitis.

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