Narrow-spectrum antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia in Dutch adults (CAP-PACT): a cross-sectional, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised, non-inferiority, antimicrobial stewardship intervention trial
RCT (n=4084 at 12 hospitals, Netherlands) found a multifaceted antibiotic stewardship intervention might safely reduce broad-spectrum antibiotic use in this population (mean broad-spectrum days of therapy per patient reduced from 6.5 days control to 4.8 days intervention period).
Source:
The Lancet
SPS commentary:
According to a commentary, this research is clinically relevant and timely, but reflects many of the limitations still present in this field, and the results, in its opinion, might not be easily generalised. Nevertheless the finding are welcome and indicate that antimicrobial stewardship programmes can promote appropriate antimicrobial use without deleterious effects on clinical outcomes in patients with community-acquired pneumonia, but more prospective and randomised studies are needed in this field.