1083 Assessment of Antibiotic Prescribing Compliance: Are We Adhering to NICE Guidelines for Recording Stop/Review Dates in Surgical Wards- A Closed Loop Audit

Abstract Aim We've noticed instances where general surgical patients received antibiotics without a recorded stop/ review date in electronic prescribing system, potentially exceeding the recommended duration resulting in neutropenic sepsis in one instance . We aim to ensure compliance with NICE antibiotic prescribing guidelines by reviewing our practices and making necessary improvements for better patient care. Method Initial retrospective data analysis involved 50 inpatients receiving antibiotics in the surgical ward. For the subsequent re-audit, we implemented interventions and performed a prospective analysis on data from 40 patients over a two-week period in the same ward. Results Initial Audit Findings: Only 56% of patients had a recorded stop/review date for antibiotics. Discussions with junior doctors highlighted several reasons: Lack of Awareness of the NICE guideline of antibiotics stewardship. Patient Transfers: Patients moving between teams resulted in existing prescriptions without updated reviews. Paper Documentation: Decisions about antibiotics were documented in paper notes, not reflected on electronic prescribing system. Based on these findings, we implemented the following interventions: informal discussions and an email to junior doctors highlighting the findings and relevant NICE guidelines, along with placing physical posters in doctors' stations for easy reference. In the re-audit, 61.1% of patients had recorded stop/review dates, indicating more than 10% improvement. Conclusions Following discussions with prescribers post re-audit, our plan involves engaging with the electronic prescribing system. We propose adding an option to input review dates and making it mandatory to include stop/ review date when prescribing antibiotics to ensure sustained adherence to NICE guideline.