Newly published research aims to help tackle antimicrobial resistance, a growing global health emergency that contributes to over 35,000 deaths in the UK each year. 

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when a medicine is no longer effective against a microorganism that causes disease, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. We rely on antibiotics to treat common conditions such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections and many other illnesses. Many routine surgical procedures also rely on these medicines, as giving antibiotics beforehand helps to prevent infection.

The team of researchers from the Royal Devon, the University of Exeter, the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR South West Peninsula Applied Research Collaboration (PenARC) set out to understand what would help improve antibiotic prescribing in surgery, looking closely at how teams work in day-to-day settings. The researchers used in depth observation and interviews to understand how antibiotic decisions are made in real surgical settings. 

Hazel Parker, NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow and study lead, said:

“Surgical antibiotic prescribing should be viewed as a shared responsibility and be supported by visible leadership, clear communication and well-defined roles. Making good, evidence-based antibiotic prescribing decisions easier to achieve, expected, and part of everyday practice will protect patients now and help reduce antimicrobial resistance in the future.”

“During the next phase of our research we will work with surgical teams to build on what we have learned during this study and introduce system changes to improve surgical antibiotic stewardship. We are very grateful to the healthcare workers, patients and patient representatives who have generously shared their experiences and ideas to inform our research.”

Their findings are now published in the BMJ Open and can be accessed here.