Antibiotic Review at 48–72 Hours Audit

DEMO DATA

Audit whether adults on antibiotics receive a structured 48–72 hour review with a documented CARES decision, in line with NICE NG15, Start Smart – Then Focus and local antimicrobial policy.

OverviewHow to useProject setupTeamInclusion / exclusionData collectionDashboardSubmissionsFindingsImprovementRe-auditResourcesExport centreSettings
Antibiotic courses reviewed
60
Sample data
Review completed at 48–72h
71.7%
Target ≥ 90%
CARES decision documented
63.3%
Continue / Amend / Refer / Escalate / Stop / Switch
IV-to-oral switch considered
45%
Where clinically appropriate
Aim
To assess whether adults receiving systemic antibiotics have a structured review at 48–72 hours from first dose with a documented CARES decision (Continue, Amend, Refer, Escalate, Stop, Switch), in line with NICE NG15, Start Smart – Then Focus and local antimicrobial policy.
Standards
NICE NG15 · UKHSA Start Smart – Then Focus — antibiotic review at 48–72 hours with documented CARES decision (local target ≥ 90%)
Sample
Target sample 60 consecutive adult inpatients (≥ 16y) prescribed a systemic antibiotic expected to continue ≥ 48 hours. Pseudonymised only — no direct patient identifiers. Review within the 48–72h window documented in 56.7% of demo cases.

Tool workflow

    Step 1
    Project setup
    Confirm scope, wards, leads, local antimicrobial policy references and audit cycle.
    Step 2
    Team
    Add supervisors, antimicrobial pharmacy, microbiology, ID and governance leads.
    Step 3
    Inclusion / exclusion
    Review who is in scope and the 24 audit criteria.
    Step 4
    Collect data
    Structured form for each antibiotic course.
    Step 5
    Dashboard
    Review at 48–72h, CARES documentation, ward comparison, run chart and gaps.
    Step 6
    Findings
    Interpret results, good practice and gaps.
    Step 7
    Improvement
    Plan actions, PDSA cycles and re-audit.
    Step 8
    Resources
    NICE NG15, Start Smart – Then Focus and local policy references.
    Step 9
    Export centre
    Editable Word, PowerPoint, Excel and ARCP outputs.
Add a case
Open the structured data collection form.
Plan improvement
PDSA cycles, actions and re-audit plan.
Generate outputs
Word, PowerPoint, Excel and ARCP evidence.
Clinical safety note
This tool supports local antimicrobial stewardship, audit and governance review. It does not replace clinical judgement, local antimicrobial policy, microbiology advice, ID advice, critical care advice, sepsis pathways or emergency treatment. Do not delay antibiotics for suspected sepsis. Follow local Sepsis Six / NG51 pathways. Do not enter patient names, NHS numbers, hospital numbers, full dates of birth, addresses or other direct identifiers.