An exception-reporting approach for wound swab culture: effect on post-report antibiotic initiation.

ABSTRACT: A prior analysis suggested that wound swab culture (WSC) results were driving unnecessary antibiotic use in patients who were not already receiving treatment. As a quality-improvement initiative, our laboratory introduced an "exception-reporting" protocol on 1 March 2023, whereby typical wound pathogens susceptible to recommended empiric therapy (flucloxacillin/cefalexin) were not reported, and a comment was provided, stating no significant resistant organisms had been detected. Full results were available to clinicians on request. Cultures falling outside protocol criteria were reported in the standard fashion. This analysis sought to assess the effect of exception-reporting on post-report antibiotic initiation (PRAI). All community WSC results were matched to antibiotic dispensing record

SUBMITTER: Bloomfield M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11237602 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature