Abstract
Background
Antibiotics are not recommended in healthy, uncomplicated adults for the treatment
of acute bronchitis, yet are still often prescribed. No randomized studies have examined
whether prescribing antibiotics in the emergency department (ED) impacts hospital
return rates.
Objective
Our aim was to compare hospital return rates between those who were prescribed an
antibiotic vs. those who were not prescribed an antibiotic for the treatment of acute
bronchitis.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study was completed evaluating patients aged 18–64 years who
presented to a community teaching hospital ED with acute bronchitis between January
2017 and December 2019. The primary outcomes were 30-day ED return and hospital admissions
from initial ED visit. The rates of ED return or readmitted were compared for patients
prescribed an antibiotic for treatment of acute bronchitis vs. those patients who
were not prescribed an antibiotic.
Results
Of the 752 patients included, 311 (41%) were prescribed antibiotics. Baseline demographics
were similar between both groups. Of those prescribed an antibiotic, 26 of 311 (8.4%)
returned to the hospital within 30 days compared with 33 of 441 patients (7.5%) who
were not prescribed an antibiotic (odds ratio 1.13; 95% confidence interval 0.66–1.92).
Conclusions
There was no association found between antibiotic therapy for treatment of acute bronchitis
and return to the hospital.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 27, 2022
Accepted:
January 25,
2022
Received in revised form:
January 22,
2022
Received:
September 30,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
