The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a new Quality Standard on the use of antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of neonatal infection.
This sets out priorities for healthcare professionals on the use of antibiotics to prevent and treat infections in newborn babies. We are quite chuffed to be able to say that our very own CE Jane Plumb was a laymember of this important process!
The quality standard makes 6 key statements to help reduce newborn deaths and improve the treatment of pregnant women and babies who need antibiotics for an infection:
Statement 1. Pregnant women whose babies are at risk of early‑onset neonatal infection are offered intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis and given the first dose as soon as possible.
Statement 2. Pregnant women and newborn babies receive a comprehensive clinical assessment for the risks or indicators of early‑onset neonatal infection.
Statement 3. Newborn babies who need antibiotic treatment receive it within 1 hour of the decision to treat.
Statement 4. Newborn babies who start antibiotic treatment for possible early‑onset neonatal infection have their need for it reassessed at 36 hours.
Statement 5. Parents or carers of newborn babies in whom early‑onset neonatal infection has been a concern are given verbal and written information about neonatal infection before discharge.
Statement 6 (placeholder). Antibiotic treatment for late‑onset neonatal infection.
This quality standard will help commissioners, health care professionals and service providers improve the quality of services to prevent and treat neonatal infection in newborns. It can also be used by patients, families or carers of patients to understand what high quality care they could be getting. It is derived from evidence based guidance or other NICE accredited sources and has been developed with help from health care professionals, patients and service users and other stakeholders.
To read the QS in full, go to www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs75.
