Optimizing antibiotic use in culture-negative healthcare-associated infection with a 'stop' policy: a descriptive analytical study.

Background And Objectives: Many sick neonates receive antibiotics for the clinical diagnosis of probable/possible sepsis. Reports suggest rampant antibiotic use in culture-negative sepsis. We introduced an antibiotic stop policy (ASP), by defining 'completed course duration of antibiotics' in the setting of culture-negative suspected healthcare-associated infection (HAI).