Appropriateness of antibiotic use for patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria or urinary tract infection with positive urine culture: A retrospective observational multicentre study in Korea

Antibiotic resistance threatens public health worldwide, and inappropriate use of antibiotics is one of the main causes. To evaluate qualitative use of antibiotics in asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) and urinary tract infection (UTI) METHODS: Cases of positive urine cultures (≥10 CFU/ml) performed in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency departments in April 2021 were screened in 26 hospitals in Korea. The cases were classified as ABU, lower UTI, and upper UTI. The appropriateness of antibiotic use was retrospectively evaluated by infectious disease specialists using quality indicators based on clinical guidelines for ABU and UTI. This study included a total of 2,697 patients with ABU or UTI. The appropriateness of antibiotic use was assessed in 1,157 patients with ABU and in 677 and 863 patients with lower and upper UTI, respectively. Among the 1,157 patients with ABU, 251 (22%) were prescribed antibiotics without appropriate indications. In 66 patients with ABU in which antibiotics were prescribed with appropriate indication, the duration was adequate in only 23 (34.8%) patients. The appropriateness of empirical and definite antibiotics was noted in 527 (77.8%) and 353 (68.0%) patients with lower UTI and 745 (86.3%) and 583 (78.2%) patients with upper UTI, respectively. The duration of antibiotics was adequate in 321 (61.8%) patients with lower UTI and 576 (78.7%) with upper UTI. This nationwide qualitative assessment of antibiotic use in ABU and UTI revealed that antibiotics were often prescribed inappropriately, and the duration of antibiotics was unnecessarily prolonged.