Treatment with Antibiotics within 4 Hours

Why is this important?

Antibiotics are used to treat adults with pneumonia caused by bacteria.  By treating bacterial pneumonia with antibiotics early, physicians can cure the disease and reduce the possibility of complications. 

How WellSpan Compares

Last year, York Hospital and Gettysburg Hospital treated 1,033 patients with pneumonia.  The following shows the percentage of patients who were given their first dose of antibiotics within four hours of arrival at the hospital.  The information below does not include individuals who get pneumonia during their hospital stay.

Unit of Measurement: Percentage

A higher score is better than a lower score.

York Hospital result added on 09/30/2008
Gettysburg Hospital result added on 12/31/2008

What we are doing to improve our performance.

WellSpan has formed a special team, known as the “Pneumonia Clinical Effectiveness Team,” to work with doctors and nurses who care for pneumonia patients at York Hospital and Gettysburg Hospital.  This group meets regularly to analyze current medical literature on pneumonia and to assess WellSpan’s performance in treating it effectively.   Gettysburg Hospital has met the four-hour goal, averaging 2 hours and 39 minutes.   So far, the team has identified a number of factors which can affect the hospital staff’s ability to give antibiotics within four hours of a patient’s arrival.  These factors include the number of patients in the Emergency Department and the uncertainty of the patient’s diagnosis at the time he or she arrives at the Emergency Department.  Staff members review all medical records of pneumonia patients who do not receive timely antibiotics and determine the reason why.  Feedback is provided to doctors and nurses on the causes of the delays.   WellSpan is working to improve collaboration among the staff in its Emergency Departments, pharmacy, nursing units and the physician who admits the patient.  Such collaboration is important to the timely administration of antibiotics.  In addition, WellSpan is working to order important imaging studies (such as X-rays) faster so that they may recognize pneumonia in their patients more quickly.  New processes are developed and implemented that enable Emergency Department nurses to identify possible chest X-rays for pneumonia patients prior to being seen by a physician.  WellSpan expects this to speed the care of pneumonia patients.   WellSpan anticipates new Infectious Disease Society of America’s (IDSA) guidelines to change from “treatment with antibiotics within four hours” to “as soon as possible” in 2007.  This guideline change may expedite giving the antibiotics in the Emergency Department.