Antibiotic Prescribing

refers to the practice by healthcare providers of selecting, recommending, and often legally authorizing the use of antibiotics for the treatment or prevention of bacterial infections.

How It's Selected

Choosing the right antibiotic based on the type of infection, its likely bacterial cause, local resistance patterns, patient-specific factors (like allergies, kidney function), and potential for drug interactions. This decision can be based on clinical guidelines, local microbiological data, or empirical knowledge when awaiting culture results.

How does the dosing work?

Determining the correct dose, frequency, and duration of the antibiotic therapy. This is crucial for achieving efficacy while minimizing side effects and reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance.

More Info:

Duration:
Specifying how long a patient should take the antibiotic. Recent trends advocate for shorter courses when appropriate to reduce resistance and side effects, although this varies by infection type.

Route of Administration:
Choosing how the antibiotic will be administered, whether orally, intravenously (IV), intramuscularly (IM), or in some cases, topically. The choice depends on the severity of the infection, the pharmacokinetics of the drug, and patient factors.

Stewardship:
Implementing principles of antibiotic stewardship, which focuses on optimizing therapy to maximize clinical cure while minimizing unintended consequences like resistance, toxicity, and selection of pathogenic organisms. This includes de-escalation of broad-spectrum antibiotics once pathogen identification and susceptibility are known.

Education and Communication:
Explaining to patients why antibiotics are chosen, how they should be taken, and the importance of completing the course as prescribed, even if symptoms improve. This also includes educating on potential side effects and what to do if they occur.