title: Do educational interventions improve management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia?
abstract: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the Leading cause of death from infection. In order to evaluate physicians' adherence to hospital guidelines for CAP, an observational prospective study during two consecutive winter periods at an Irish teaching hospital was performed. A series of educational sessions on management of CAP was provided for medical staff at the end of the first year. Comparison of results showed significant improvement in the rate of blood culture sampling (p < .01), sputum sampling (p < .05), and combined blood culture and sputum sampling (p < .01). Length of antibiotic treatment was more appropriate in the second study year. Results indicate that antibiotic audit and educational interventions improve physicians' adherence to hospital guidelines.
authors.affiliation: St. Vincent's University Hopsital, Dublin, Ireland. Kirsten.schaffer@ucd.ie
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schaffer
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Zulema
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Sanchez
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fenelon
mesh_terms: D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007494:Ireland; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies