Banfield reports on antimicrobial usage in feline patients
About 40 percent of cats receive antimicrobial medications for a presumptive urinary tract infection with no urinalysis or with negative urinalysis results.
That was one of the key findings of the second Veterinary Emerging Topics Report from Banfield Pet Hospital and the North American Veterinary Community. Banfield and the NAVC released the report, "A Feline Focus on Antimicrobial Usage," on Feb. 5 during the NAVC's 2018 Veterinary Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Florida.
The first report focused on antimicrobial usage in canine patients at Banfield hospitals. The second report explored antimicrobial usage in feline patients at 973 Banfield hospitals throughout the United States in 2016, looking specifically at urinary tract infections and respiratory tract infections in cats for which antimicrobials were dispensed in the hospital.
After positive results on a urinalysis for a urinary tract infection, only 11 percent of feline patients received further culture and susceptibility testing to confirm the diagnosis. As in dogs, many urinary tract infections and respiratory tract infections in cats are treated with an antimicrobial not concordant with guidelines from the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.
Two primary drivers for prescribing antimicrobials instead of performing additional tests or suggesting other forms of treatment were concerns about compliance.
According to an announcement summarizing the report, "Opportunities exist to achieve improved adherence to existing antimicrobial usage guidelines through increased veterinarian focus on patient diagnostic testing, client education and support, and improving the ease of medication administration."
The full report is available at www.banfield.com/exchange.
Related JAVMA content:
Report explores antimicrobial usage at Banfield hospitals (April 15, 2017)