Inter-expert agreement on indications for antibiotic therapy in older adults admitted to French hospital through an emergency department.

Background: Around one third of older adults with infections have an atypical presentation upon admission to an emergency department (ED).

Objective: To evaluate the level of agreement between experts from several disciplines on the indication for antibiotic therapy for a bacterial infection in older patients presenting at an ED, and to describe the characteristics of the infections.

Methods: Based on comprehensive medical records, three experts (a geriatrician, an emergency physician (EP), and an infectious disease specialist (IDS)) determined independently and then jointly whether a patient presenting at the ED had a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic therapy.