Expanding Antimicrobial Stewardship

Gold standard diagnostic criteria for diagnosing acute infection in older adult patients in
the Emergency Department do not currently exist. These patients often have atypical
presentations which can complicate diagnosis and treatment. The development of an
antimicrobial stewardship program for Emergency Department older adult patients can
ultimately improve the accuracy of diagnosis and correct antimicrobial prescribing. This
research study involves data collection from enrolled subjects and treating physicians. The
data will be collected using a patient interview which will be answered directly by the
patient or caregiver. Additional surveys will be administered to the Emergency Department
treating physician and subsequent physician. Additional data will be abstracted from the
Emergency Department chart and from additional charts that often accompanies the patient to
the Emergency Department. A physician adjudication process will occur if there is
disagreement in diagnosis between the treating Emergency Department physician and succeeding
physician.