In a multihospital cohort study, hospital-based antibiotic stewardship interventions targeting fluoroquinolone prescribing were associated with less fluoroquinolone prescribing during hospitalization, but not as discharge. The 48-hosptial, retrospective cohort included general-care, medical patients hospitalized with pneumonia or positive urine culture between December 2015 and September 2017. Hospitals were surveyed on their use of pre-prescription approval and/or prospective audit and feedback to target fluoroquinolone prescribing during hospitalization. Researchers found:

• 11,748 patients from 48 hospitals were included in the analysis.
• All hospitals responded to the survey: 29.2% reported using pre-prescription approval and/or prospective audit and feedback to target fluoroquinolone prescribing.
• After adjustment, fluoroquinolone stewardship was associated with fewer patients receiving a fluoroquinolone and fewer fluoroquinolone treatment days per 1,000 patients.
• However, most fluoroquinolone treatment days occurred after discharge.