Quality of Care Improvements for Patients with Pneumonia

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Abstract
Pneumonia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Previous studies have shown that timely antibiotic administration on hospitalization can improve patient outcomes and shorten hospital stays. Antibiotic administration within 4 hours of admission has been recommended in national guidelines. We initiated a project with eight Florida hospitals to improve the timely delivery of antibiotics to pneumonia patients. Secondary goals were the collection of sputum and blood samples prior to antibiotic therapy. After gathering baseline data from review of pneumonia patient charts, participating hospitals initiated various interventions aimed at improving their processes of care. Reevaluation after implementation of the interventionsfound thata significantly largerfraction of patients received antibiotics within 4 hours of admission (a 62% improvement), and the median time of antibiotic administration was also significantly decreased. No significant changes were observed in the rates of sputum or blood collection.