Abstract Aims The aims of this study were to assess compliance to local guidelines in antibiotic prescribing in surgical patients. Deviations from recommended evidence-based practices may contribute to the emergence of resistant pathogens and side effects of antibiotic overuse, leading to adverse clinical outcomes for patients and further implications for public health. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 41 surgical patients aged over 18 years at a district general hospital in Essex over two months. A second cycle, involving 23 patients meeting the same inclusion criteria, was completed after implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system. Results The proportion of patients prescribed appropriate antibiotics in accordance to the guideline improved slightly from 86% in the first group to 87% in the second group. Indications for antibiotic use were recorded for 74% of patients using the new electronic health record (EHR) system, compared to only 24% with the previous software. Culture samples were not collected in 37% of patients in the first cycle, rising to 43% in the second cycle. Allergy status was documented for all patients in both cycles. Antibiotic duration was recorded for all patients in the second cycle, compared to 20% in the first cycle. Conclusions The implementation of an electronic prescribing system with mandatory fields improved documentation accuracy and antibiotic duration recording. However, antibiotics were still prescribed without clinical evidence of infection, potentially contributing to resistance. There is further scope to align prescribing practices with evidence-based local guidelines to optimise patient outcomes and combat antimicrobial resistance.
Nyantakyi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.