Appropriate Antibiotic Use in Adults with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections

Abstract

Sponsoring Organizations: American College of Physicians (ACP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Target Audience: All clinicians who provide care to adults in ambulatory settings Background Antibiotics are prescribed during more than 100 million adult ambulatory visits annually; an estimated 50% of these prescriptions might be unnecessary or inappropriate. This paper from the ACP and the CDC is an update of 2001 guidelines on appropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infection in adults (NEJM JW Gen Med Apr 15 2001 and Ann Intern Med 2001; 134:479) and includes advice on managing bronchitis, pharyngitis, and rhinosinusitis. The focus of the update is healthy …