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USE OF DATA

Clinical Practice

Clinicians rely on AGAR’s AMR trends to choose the right antimicrobials for serious infections.
  • Empirical therapy decisions — Hospitals use AGAR’s national AMR rates to adjust first‑line treatments for bloodstream infections (e.g., MRSA, ESBL‑producing E. coli).
  • Local antibiograms — AGAR’s national data complements hospital‑level antibiograms, helping clinicians understand broader trends beyond their own institution.
  • Guideline updates — Bodies like the Therapeutic Guidelines incorporate AGAR data when revising recommendations for bacteraemia, sepsis, pneumonia, urinary infections, and skin infections. 

Hospitals

Hospital antimicrobial stewardship teams use AGAR data to:
  • Adjust prescribing policies — e.g., restricting certain broad‑spectrum antibiotics when resistance rises.
  • Benchmark performance — Hospitals compare their AMR patterns with AGAR’s national averages.
  • Detect unusual AMR — AGAR’s surveillance helps identify emerging threats like carbapenemase‑producing organisms.

Government

Government agencies use AGAR data to:
  • Set national AMR priorities — e.g., targeting MRSA, VRE, ESBLs, or carbapenem resistance.
  • Support public health alerts
  • Plan funding and interventions — e.g., investing in stewardship programs or lab capacity.
  • Report to international bodies — Australia contributes AGAR data to the World Health Organisation’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS)

Researchers

AGAR’s long‑running datasets (some dating back to 1985) allow researchers to:
  • Track long‑term AMR trends
  • Model future AMR
  • Study the impact of antibiotic policy changes
  • Identify risk factors for resistant infections
This research often informs future clinical guidelines and national strategy.

Example of how AGAR data may change clinical practice

If AGAR reports rising ESBL‑producing E. coli in bloodstream infections:
  • Hospitals may restrict ceftriaxone use.
  • Guidelines may shift toward carbapenems for severe sepsis.
  • CARAlert may issue a national advisory.
  • Public health agencies may investigate transmission sources.