Emerg Med Inves: DOI: Objectives: We conducted the first national audit of adherence to the latest CAP guidelines. Methods: A web-based audit tool was developed as part of the guidelines. Results: A total of 3. CRB65 score was 0 in Median delay to first antibiotics was 3h45min.
Initial empirical antimicrobial treatment was in accordance with French CAP guidelines in Of note, This result questions whether emergency physicians are aware of the recommendations or whether recommendations are adequate for emergency CAP patients.
Based on initial assessment, physicians have to decide on antimicrobial therapy and in-hospital site-of-care. Providing adequate management to CAP patients impacts both outcome and related costs[1]. Guidelines are developed and widely broadcasted to help practitioners. Delay of antimicrobial agents is regarded as an indicator for quality of carein CAP patients as it has been associated with outcome [2].
Therefore, optimizing initial antimicrobial therapy is a major goal for the CAP guidelines. These recommendations were supposed to update and improve administration of antibiotics in CAP patients. Unfortunately, making a diagnosis of CAP in emergency patients remains challenging as clinical signs are aspecific and X-ray results are often unsatisfactory[4].
This may lead to uncertain diagnosis and inadequate antimicrobial treatment[5,6]. Here we investigated whether the recent CAP guidelines for antimicrobial therapy in CAP were followed by emergency physicians at bedside and whether factors were associated to non-adherence to antibiotic guidelines.
