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Published on: May 28, 2014
Use of the bacteriology laboratory to decrease general practitioners' antibiotic prescribing
Ian Malcolm Gould1, Fiona Marjorie Mackenzie, Lorraine Shepherd
1Department of Medical Microbiology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK. i.m.gould@abdn.ac.dk
The European Journal of General Practice
|March 17, 2007
Summary
The overnight bacteriology laboratory service (ABLE) in Grampian successfully identified bacterial infections, significantly reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in primary care. This audit confirms appropriate use for guiding antibiotic decisions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Primary Care Medicine
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
Background:
- Bacteriology laboratory use in primary care is often limited by timely access.
- The overnight analysis service (ABLE) in Grampian aimed to improve antibiotic prescribing.
- Previous trials showed ABLE reduced antibiotic prescribing by two-thirds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit the use of the ABLE service in Grampian general practice.
- To determine if ABLE was being used appropriately to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
Main Methods:
- An audit of 699 consultations, including 357 ABLE patients.
- Comparison with 342 non-ABLE patients selected due to antibiotic prescription.
- Analysis of antibiotic prescribing patterns and infection types.
Main Results:
- Only 36.7% of ABLE patients received an antibiotic, with most on delayed scripts.
- ABLE patients had more urinary tract infections but fewer respiratory/skin infections.
- Repeat visit and repeat antibiotic rates were similar between groups.
Conclusions:
- Despite low overall use, ABLE is appropriately utilized in Grampian.
- The service effectively identifies bacterial infections.
- ABLE successfully reduces unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in primary care.
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