BACKGROUND Nursing home residents with advanced dementia are at high risk of infections and antimicrobial exposure near the end of life. Detailed studies quantifying antimicrobial prescribing practices among these residents have not been performed. METHODS A cohort of 214 residents with advanced dementia from 21 Boston-area nursing homes were followed up prospectively for 18 months or until d...

OBJECTIVES To assess the use of antibiotic de-escalation in patients with hospital-acquired severe sepsis in an academic setting. DESIGN We reviewed all episodes of severe sepsis treated over a 1-yr period in the department of intensive care. Antimicrobial therapy was considered as appropriate when the antimicrobial had in vitro activity against the causative microorganisms. According to the ...