What is a cumulative antibiogram used for in a clinical setting?

• A. A single patient’s antibiotic susceptibility history.
• B. A list of all antibiotics tested in a lab.
• C. A summary of susceptibility patterns across isolates in a setting over a defined period; informs empiric therapy choices and resistance monitoring.
• D. A surveillance report of antibiotic prices.

Answer: (C)

A cumulative antibiogram is a summary of local antibiotic susceptibility patterns across bacterial isolates collected in a health care setting over a defined period. It reports how often common pathogens are susceptible to various antibiotics, usually as percentages. This makes it a practical tool for guiding empiric therapy: when a patient presents with an infection and culture data aren’t yet available, clinicians can choose an initial antibiotic with the highest likelihood of effectiveness based on the facility’s local patterns. It also supports resistance monitoring and stewardship by revealing trends over time so clinicians and infection control teams can adjust guidelines and containment strategies.

It’s not about an individual patient’s history, not simply a comprehensive list of every antibiotic tested, and not a report on antibiotic prices.