Antibiotic Prescribing in Emergency project
Quick facts
In the emergency department (ED), deciding who does and who does not need antibiotics can be difficult. An emergency doctor cannot perform a test that tells them who needs antibiotics or what type of antibiotic type to prescribe.
This study describes how many patients receive antibiotics in the ED and what proportion of these antibiotics are not required or have been given incorrectly (incorrect type or dose).
The study results will allow us to:
- estimate the proportion of ED patients who receive antibiotics
- determine if a problem exists with when and how Australian EDs give antibiotics in a busy environment.
"Antibiotics are commonly used, but if not used appropriately, the downsides may outweigh the benefits. Encouraging doctors to consider alternative choices (oral instead of intravenous, or narrow spectrum rather than broad spectrum – when appropriate) may have benefits for patient outcomes."
— Prof Gerben Keijzers
