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Antibiotic Stewardship

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Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Stewardship (AS)

Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated program that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics), improves patient outcomes, reduces microbial resistance, and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms.

Overview:

The use of antibiotics is the single most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance around the world. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, more than two million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant organisms and approximately 23,000 of these infections result in death annually.[1]

In U.S acute care hospitals, it is estimated that 20-50% of all antibiotics prescribed are either unnecessary or inappropriate.[2]  Through the promotion of evidence-based antibiotic stewardship programs we can improve individual patient outcomes, reduce overall burden of antibiotic resistance, and decrease healthcare costs.[3]

Texas Trends:

In October of 2017, Texas DSHS on-boarded the Texas Antibiotic Stewardship Expert, as part of the Healthcare Safety Group. The antibiotic stewardship expert will aid in combating antibiotic resistance by promoting and participating in antibiotic stewardship educational activities and distribution of materials focused on developing and enhancing antibiotic stewardship programs in all healthcare settings and communities across Texas.

The Commissioner’s Commitment Letter for Antimicrobial Stewardship

  1. CDC. Antibiotic resistance threats in the United States. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/

  2. CDC. Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2014. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare/implementation/core-elements.html.

  3. Dellit TH, Owens RC, McGowan JE, Jr., et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America guidelines for developing an institutional program to enhance antimicrobial stewardship. Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Jan 15 2007;44(2):159-177.
Last updated March 1, 2021