[Local guidelines and quality of antibiotic treatment in urinary tract infections: a clinical audit in two departments of a university hospital].

AIM: To assess the effect of local guidelines implemented at the Nantes University Hospital regarding antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infections.

DESIGN

Before/after study of one medical ward and one urologic surgery ward. Quality was measured by two principal criteria: compliance with guidelines and medical justification in the specific clinical situation. Both criteria considered simultaneously the choice of drug, dose and duration of treatment. Deviations from the guidelines were described.

RESULTS

1086 UTI cases were identified over two 12-month periods, before and after the dissemination of guidelines (for prostatitis, pyelonephritis, indwelling catheter-associated UTIs, and other undefined UTIs). The guidelines were applicable in 313 (30%) cases. Overall, after implementation of the guidelines, the percentage of justified prescriptions did not change significantly (41.8% compared with 38.7%, p=0.299), but the percentage of correct (conforming) prescriptions fell (from 30.4% to 15.7%, p=0.0022). The percentages of correct and justified prescriptions differed in the medical (respectively 45.0% and 46.6%,) and surgical units (13.1% and 36.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Issuing guidelines does not necessarily improve the quality of antibiotic therapy for UTIs in hospitals.