Antibiotic Duration for Complicated Intraabdominal Infection Unchanged Despite Landmark Study

Researchers conducted a population-based study to determine if the publication of the STOP-IT randomized controlled trial influenced antibiotic prescribing for patients with complicated intraabdominal infection (CIAI). The study analyzed data from four hospitals in Calgary, Canada, between July 2012 and December 2018. The results showed that antibiotic duration for appendix or biliary tract sources of CIAI aligned with the experimental arm of the STOP-IT trial, while for other sources, antibiotic duration remained high and did not change significantly after publication. The findings highlight the need for improved antibiotic stewardship in clinical practice.