The use of daily electronic prompts to help improve antimicrobial stewardship in a critical care unit

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health threat, jeopardizing modern medical advancements.
• Inappropriate antibiotic selection and duration of treatment are key contributors to the rise of AMR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of electronic prescribing prompts on antimicrobial stewardship.
• To assess improvements in antibiotic prescribing practices within a critical care unit.

Main Methods:

• An audit of antibiotic prescriptions in a critical care unit was conducted.
• The audit focused on the recording of valid stop dates and indications for antibiotic prescriptions.
• The audit was performed in three phases: baseline, post-education, and post-implementation of electronic prompts.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in the recording of both antibiotic indications and stop dates across the three audit phases.
• Statistical analysis (Chi-square) confirmed the significance of these improvements (P <0.0001 for both indications and stop dates).

Conclusions:

• The implementation of daily electronic prompts positively impacts antimicrobial stewardship.
• This novel approach effectively enhances the quality of antibiotic prescribing in critical care settings.