Sarcouncil Journal of Multidisciplinary

Abstract: Infectious diseases are one of the most known causes of morbidity and mortality in every part of the world, and the emergency department (ED) represents one of the main areas where the disease is diagnosed and treated. The main objective of the meta-analysis is to determine the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of antimicrobial use in EDs as a measure to treat infectious diseases. There are six articles that have been summarised in the given study, as presented in Table 1. These articles include the period between 2017 and 2024. Particularly, May et al.'s research was published in 2023, whereas Ruiz-Ramos et al. contributed to the research in 2021. Kooda et al. did so in 2022, and Losier et al. published their publication in 2017. Also, Schoffelen et al. have been mentioned with their study of 2024, and Ana Belen Guisado-Gil et al. made their contribution in 2022. Such a varied timeline helps to understand how the current state of antimicrobial stewardship and its efficiency in emergency departments changed. The meta-analysis assesses the usefulness of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions to treat infectious diseases in EDs. It is a synthesis of the information of different studies on the use of antibiotics, underlining the urgency and complexity of making decisions related to treatment since the patient turnover is high, and the clinical picture is diverse. Our results emphasise the beneficial effect of pharmacist-led AMS interventions, quick diagnostic tests, and systematic follow-up on prescribing antibiotics and outcomes in patients. Nonetheless, critical gaps in the literature can also be observed in the analysis, especially in terms of underrepresented groups of patients and a lack of evidence about specific types of infection syndromes. The necessity of high-quality studies, multicentric ones, is underlined to educate best practise, enhance adherence to guidelines, and deliver adequate and timely antimicrobial therapy with the minimum of adverse effects and healthcare expenses. Finally, this research will offer clinical practise and policy implications to support patient care in emergency medicine facilities.