The cost of antibiotics in treating upper respiratory tract infections in a medicaid population
Abstract
To examine the use and cost of the nonindicated treatment regimens of antibiotics for nonspecific upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) in a Medicaid population. A cross-sectional sample of Kentucky Medicaid claims for 50000 people (July 1, 1993-June 30, 1994). Episodes of care were created linking outpatient and emergency department visits for URIs to medications filled within a 5-day period. Individuals who were seen in ambulatory care for a URI as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 460 and 465. Of the 15706 episodes, 95% were outpatient office episodes. The outpatient episodes were accounted for by 8784 patients and 946 physicians. Use of antibiotics in URI episodes. Proportionate costs and costs per episode were computed based on claims paid by Medicaid. Sixty percent of outpatient episodes and 48% of emergency department episodes resulted in an antibiotic prescription being filled. In outpatient settings, episodes in which secondary diagnoses of either otitis media or acute sinusitis were found accounted for less than 6% of the episodes that resulted in an antibiotic prescription being filled. The most frequently filled antibiotic was amoxicillin, althou...Continue Reading
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An antifungal, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Discover the latest research on antifungals here.
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