Table 1 Final lists of potential key quality indicators

QI 1

Empirical systemic antibiotic therapy should be prescribed according to the institutional, national, or international guideline

QI 2

Before starting systemic antibiotic therapy, at least two sets of blood cultures should be taken

QI 3

When starting systematic antibiotic therapy, specimens for culture from suspected sites of infection should be taken as soon as possible, preferably before antibiotics are started

QI 4

An antibiotic plan should be documented in the case notes at the start of systemic antibiotic therapy

QI 5

Systemic antibiotic therapy should be switched from i.v. to oral antibiotic therapy within 48–72 h on the basis of the clinical condition and when oral treatment is adequate

QI 6

Empirical antibiotic therapy should be changed to pathogen-directed therapy if culture results become available

QI 7

Dose and dosing interval of systemic antibiotic therapy should be adapted to renal function

QI 8

Therapeutic drug monitoring should be performed when the therapy duration is > 3 days for aminoglycosides and > 5 days for vancomycin

QI 9

Empirical antibiotic therapy for presumed bacterial infection should be discontinued based on the lack of clinical and/or microbiological evidence of infection. The maximum duration of empirical systemic antibiotic treatment should be 7 days

QI 10

Surgical prophylaxis antibiotic therapy should be prescribed according to guideline

QI 11

Surgical prophylaxis antibiotic therapy should be initiated within 1 h before incision

QI 12

Surgical prophylaxis antibiotic therapy should be discontinued within 1 day

QI 13

Antibiotic therapy in adult patients with sepsis should be started intravenously

QI 14

Contraindications (history of allergy, anaphylaxis, or toxicity) should be taken into account when prescribing antibiotics

QI 15

Acute upper respiratory infections and bronchitis should not be treated with antibiotics within the first 3 days, unless there is documented indication for treatment

QI 16

Antibiotics should be prescribed within appropriate cost

QI 17

Antibiotics should be prescribed in appropriate duration

QI 18

Antibiotics with anaerobic activity combination of two or more antimicrobials

QI 19

Outpatients with acute tonsillitis/pharyngitis should undergo a group A streptococcal diagnostic test to decide whether or not they should receive antibiotics

QI 20

Follow up cultures 4–7 days after initial blood culture positivity (bloodstream infection due to Staphylococcus aureus and fungi)

QI 21

Documented significant single-organism bacteriuria

QI 22

Perform ID specialist bedside consultation in hospitalized patient

QI 23

Appropriate pharmacokinetics