Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Implementation of an Electronic Alert to Improve Timeliness of Second Dose Antibiotics for Patients With Suspected Serious Infections in the Emergency Department: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial.
Delays in the second dose of antibiotics in the emergency department (ED) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with serious infections. We analyzed the influence of clinical decision support to prevent delays in second doses of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the ED. ⋯ The implementation of a clinical decision support alert reminding clinicians to reorder second doses of antibiotics was associated with a reduction in the length and frequency of antibiotic delays in the ED. There was no effect on the rates of ICU transfers, inpatient mortality, or hospital length of stay.