Definitions of appropriate antibiotic therapy (AAT) in clinical research are inconsistent and often misaligned with modern antimicrobial stewardship priorities.
2
Most studies defining AAT relied on in vitro susceptibility testing, neglecting other important factors like dosing and treatment duration.
3
Empiric appropriate antibiotic therapy was linked to improved outcomes in 63% of analyses, while definite therapy showed an 81% association.
4
Fewer than 5% of definitions included guideline adherence, which is crucial for effective treatment, especially in culture-negative infections.
5
The review calls for standardized definitions of AAT that consider clinical, pharmacologic, and stewardship criteria to enhance comparability.
