Epidemiology and Appropriateness of Antibiotic Prescribing in Severe Pneumonia After Lung Resection

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a severe complication of major lung resection. The objective of this study was to describe the current epidemiology and appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions in severe POP, 4 years after implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program that was based on weekly multidisciplinary review of all antibiotic therapies.

This study was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. It included all cases of severe POP occurring within 30 days after major lung resection of in a 1,500-bed hospital between 2013 and 2015. Criteria for severe POP were acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis, or a rapidly extensive pulmonary infiltrate. The study collected data on incidence, clinical outcomes, and microbiological analyses. Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing was assessed by quality indicators previously validated in the literature.

Over the study period, 1,555 patients underwent major lung surgery. Severe POP occurred in 91 patients (5.8%; confidence interval, 4.7%; 7.0%), with a mortality rate of 9.0% (8 of 91; confidence interval, 3.0%; 14.6%). In POP with positive microbiological results, the proportion of gram-negative bacteria other than Haemophilus was 76% (50 of 66 cases). All patients (91 of 91) had respiratory samples taken within 24 hours after the start of antibiotics; empiric therapy was concordant with the guideline in 80% (69 of 86), and it was switched to pathogen-directed therapy in 74% (46 of 62). In 71 of 91 patients (78%), the antibiotic duration was up to 7 days.

This study reported a high proportion of gram-negative bacteria in severe POP. Four years after implementation of the program, quality indicators of antibiotic prescribing were all >70%. The rate of de-escalation to pathogen-directed therapy could be improved, however.