Interventions for Timely Antibiotic Review in Acute Care Hospitals Appears Effective

Physician-targeted interventions for the timely review of antibiotics in acute care hospitals were effective over the short and medium term, according to a systematic review of 14 studies. Researchers published their findings online in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. 

“These interventions have been reported to lead to significant improvements in the timely review of antibiotic therapy, in switching from IV to oral antibiotic therapy, and significant impacts on the reduction of the duration of antibiotic therapy,” wrote researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. 

Among the 14 studies included in the systematic review and narrative synthesis, 11 were conducted at single sites. All of the studies focused on physicians as the main targets of the interventions to promote timely review of antibiotic therapy. 

While the interventions in the studies were mostly effective, only two studies looked at long-term effectiveness, researchers noted.  

The three mostly commonly used strategies in the interventions were clinical practice guidelines, audit and feedback, and educational materials, according to the review. However, the studies lacked clear reporting on the details of the interventions, and only one study employed theory in the evaluation of interventions. 

“Future research may benefit from the application of theory to intervention design and detailed specifications of interventions to aid their easy replication and implementation in different contexts,” researchers concluded. 

Reference:

Matuluko A, Macdonald J, Ness V, Currie K. Interventions to improve the review of antibiotic therapy in acute care hospitals: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. JAC Antimicrob Resist. 2020;2(3):dlaa065. Published 2020 Sep 17. doi:10.1093/jacamr/dlaa065