The PRECISE framework: a structured approach to antibiogram interpretation for antimicrobial optimization at the bedside
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance claimed an estimated 4.95 million lives in 2019. When clinicians prescribe empiric therapy that follows guidelines, mortality drops by roughly a third; when they de-escalate on the basis of culture results, it drops by more than half. Yet the document that should drive both decisions, the antibiogram, is often read superficially or misinterpreted, particularly by physicians without infectious-disease training. Existing stewardship frameworks address prescribing principles, timing, or ecological impact, but none walks the clinician step by step through an individual susceptibility report and out the other side with a treatment plan. PRECISE is a seven-step mnemonic designed for that purpose. Each letter corresponds to a clinical action: Pathogen assessment, Resistance phenotype interpretation, Evaluate MIC, Curtail spectrum, Individualize PK/PD, Switch route, and Endpoint optimization. Three clinical vignettes (including one in which the steps deliberately collide) illustrate how the framework operates in practice.
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