# Identifying Meaningful Metrics of Neonatal Antibiotic Use

> **NIH AHRQ K08** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2021 · $144,332

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Overuse of antibiotics in all settings accelerates the development of antibiotic resistance, a top threat to global
health. Optimizing antibiotic use is a strategy for combatting resistance. Inter-hospital comparison of antibiotic
use is recommended by national antibiotic stewardship implementation policies but requires accurate
measurement of such use. Newborn infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have high rates
of antibiotic exposure. The purpose of this pharmacoepidemiology study is to provide a framework for safely
optimizing neonatal antibiotic use. The project’s specific aims are (1) to develop a risk-adjusted method for
benchmarking antibiotic use across NICUs; (2) to develop a neonatal antibiotic use metric that accounts for
antibiotic spectrum of activity; and (3) to determine the associations between antibiotic use metrics and
neonatal outcomes. Aims 1-3 will utilize neonatal data from the Premier Health Database and Aims 2 and 3 will
also utilize University of Pennsylvania patient-level neonatal data for validation. This study will directly address
a top AHRQ research priority, promoting appropriate antibiotic use in order to reduce the transmission of
resistant bacteria. The proposal focuses exclusively on newborn infants, an AHRQ priority population. The
results of this research will identify meaningful metrics of neonatal antibiotic use in order to allow hospitals and
stakeholders to pinpoint antibiotic utilization practices that should be emulated or avoided, and ultimately
improve the safety and quality of neonatal care.
This career development award is designed to support the transition of Dr. Dustin Flannery, an Instructor of
Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, into an independent
physician-scientist and to achieve his long-term career goal of becoming a national expert in neonatal antibiotic
stewardship and leader in pediatric health services research. In addition, this award will allow him to obtain the
training, mentorship, and research experience necessary to successfully compete for R01 grants supporting
studies in this arena.
Dr. Flannery will receive advanced training and experiential learning in pharmacoepidemiology research
methods, advanced biostatistical techniques, and health services and policy. The University of Pennsylvania
and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provide a stellar research environment to conduct such research. This
project will be guided by a renowned mentorship team with a track record of successful collaboration and
scholarship, including experts in neonatology, infectious diseases, pharmacoepidemiology, health services,
biostatistics, and outcomes research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10259762
- **Project number:** 5K08HS027468-02
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Dustin Daniel Flannery
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $144,332
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10259762

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10259762, Identifying Meaningful Metrics of Neonatal Antibiotic Use (5K08HS027468-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10259762. Licensed CC0.

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