Analysis of data from a PPS

Ward level data
Ward level data is used to calculate the prevalence of antibiotic use. This can be done for individual wards and can also be aggregated to calculate prevalence for the whole hospital. You would expect variation in prevalence between wards and between hospitals depending on the types of patients they treat and whether they have specialties such as Intensive Care and Oncology Units. Prevalence data is most useful to monitor trends over time within a ward or hospital. Increasing prevalence may indicate unnecessary use of antibiotics but could also be due to a changing case mix. Similarly, reducing prevalence could suggest more prudent use of antibiotics but it would be important to ensure that patients who do require antibiotics are receiving them.Patient level data
Data collected from prescriptions for individual patients can be analysed to provide qualitative data about prescribing.The simplest method that would be suitable for analysing data from one or more wards or a small hospital is simply to aggregate the data using paper-based forms as illustrated below.Example of data collection form for individual patient
Patient ID | 552386 |
Name of drug | Amoxicillin |
Route | PO |
Unit dose | 500mg |
Dosage frequency | TID |
Indication | Exacerbation COPD |
Complies with (local) guidance | Yes |
Challenges in Antibiotic Resistance: Point Prevalence Surveys

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