Antenatal corticosteroid prescribing: A complete audit cycle

SummaryWe undertook an audit of the practice of antenatal steroid prescribing. Data were collected over a prospective 12-week period in an initial audit (2002). Deviations from compliance with guidelines published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists were identified and a report highlighting the audit findings was disseminated to all maternity units in Glasgow. A repeat audit (2004) was performed over a further prospective 12-week period. A total of 111 women in the initial and 188 women in the repeat audits received corticosteroids. Steroid courses per eventual delivery between 24 – 36 weeks' gestation increased from 0.64 to 1.18. Repeat courses of steroid decreased from 5% to <1%. Potentially effective courses of steroid increased from 24% to 35%. The proportion of potentially effective steroid courses varied according to the indication. Few steroid courses were potentially effective where the indication was pre-term labour. The findings of this audit are generally encouraging but co...