Medical Society Guidelines and Recommendations From Hospital Infectious Disease Consults are the Most Influential Factors Driving Hospital Antibiotic Selection in the Treatment of Inpatient Community-Acquired Pneumonia

MALVERN, Pa., Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlington Medical Resources (AMR), a provider of premier market intelligence for the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries, finds surveyed internal medicine physicians cite that the most important factors influencing hospital selection of antibiotics used for inpatient community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are recommendations from medical society guidelines (e.g. American Thoracic Society guidelines on pneumonia) and recommendations from the hospital's infectious disease specialists. CAP is one of the more prevalent indications treated in the hospital setting.

"More than 80 percent of antibiotic courses prescribed for CAP represent empiric treatment, thereby emphasizing the importance of beginning antibiotic therapy quickly when pneumonia is suspected," said AMR Analyst James Andersen. "Because of the lack of rapid diagnostics, physicians must choose antibiotics with the appropriate pathogen coverage even in the empiric therapy setting."

According to Hospital Anti-Infectives Insight Series: Community-Acquired Pneumonia, surveyed physicians cite various reasons for selecting agents for inpatient CAP. Physicians select Johnson & Johnson's Levaquin and Bayer/Schering-Plough's Avelox, two of the top drugs prescribed for hospital-treated CAP, because they appreciate these agents' activity against CAP pathogens. In contrast, physicians select Pfizer's Zyvox—another top drug for hospital-treated CAP—because they favor its high barrier to resistance.

About the Report

AMR's Hospital Anti-Infectives Insight Series: Community-Acquired Pneumonia analyzes hospital antibiotic prescribing patterns using AMR's comprehensive and highly detailed clinical data in conjunction with primary research and extensive understanding of emerging therapies and forecasts. This report contains U.S. data and examines the reasons behind physicians' product preferences, factors driving hospital antibiotic prescribing patterns and receptivity to emerging antibiotic therapies.

About AMR

AMR (www.AMR-data.com) serves the market intelligence needs of the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries. Research includes clinical inpatient databases that directly link anti-infective drug with indication/procedure, formulary and stocking status tracking studies, drug purchasing audits and diagnostic imaging procedure volume/contrast media usage audits. AMR is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.

About Decision Resources, Inc.

Decision Resources, Inc. is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources, Inc. at www.DecisionResourcesInc.com.

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SOURCE Arlington Medical Resources