4.3.3 Selective reporting of antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) results

Did you know that studies have found that selective reporting of AST results positively influences prescribing practices and is associated with a decrease in AMU?

Selective reporting is when a microbiologist only reports the results for a limited number of antimicrobials instead of all the antimicrobials tested. Usually, the microbiologist will report antimicrobials that are:

• first line of defence
• relevant to the bacteria/species/site of infection
• narrow spectrum
• Not HP-CIAs (in animals).

The advice of microbiologists is critical to decisions about selecting the most appropriate antimicrobials – they are, after all, the experts in the field.

Selective reporting is well established in human medicine, but it is usually performed in individual hospitals or laboratories, based on local prescribing guidelines and drug availability, and there is no national or international consistency.

In veterinary medicine, the practice of selective reporting is not well established, but there is increasing recognition of the advantages of the practice in veterinary laboratories.