US hospital physicians are overusing antibiotics, CDC report finds

Physicians practicing in US hospitals are often overusing and misusing antibiotics, according to this month’s “Vital Signs” report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1

Inappropriate use of antibiotics exposes patients to adverse effects and promotes the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains, said CDC director Tom Frieden in a telephone press conference.

“The bottom line is that we have to protect patients by protecting antibiotics. The drugs we have today are endangered. And any new drugs we get could be lost just as quickly if we don’t improve the way we prescribe and use them,” Frieden said.

The CDC uses the monthly “Vital Signs” report, published on the first Tuesday of every month, to highlight issues the agency considers of critical public …