Information for Patients

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat or prevent infections. Infections such as sepsis and meningitis are life-threatening, and antibiotics play a very important role in treatment. Like all medicines, antibiotics may cause side effects, so the risks and benefits of antibiotic therapy need to be weighed up before antibiotics are prescribed and given.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard, developed and published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, describes the care that patients should receive when they have, or are suspected of having, a bacterial infection. The Standard recommends:

• When a patient has a suspected infection, they and/or their carer should receive information on their condition and treatment options
• When a patient is prescribed antimicrobial therapy, information about when, how and for how long to take them, as well as potential side effects and a review plan, should be discussed with the patient and/or their carer.

The Clinical Excellence Commission has developed a leaflet that provides basic information to patients and carers about receiving antibiotics in a hospital environment. It is intended to be used as a counselling aid when health care professionals speak to patients who are being started on (or have recently commenced) inpatient antibiotic therapy.

Information for parents and carers

The Clinical Excellence Commission collaborated with Sydney Children's Hospital Network to develop a leaflet for parents and carers. This publication is designed to facilitate the discussion about switching from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy, promote shared decision making, and inform what parents/carers need to know before taking their child home.