November 16-22 is National Get Smart About Antibiotics Week
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes more than 2 million illnesses and at least 23,000 deaths each year in the United States. Antibiotic resistance occurs when germs no longer respond to the drugs designed to kill them. Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance and is a threat to patient safety.
As a healthcare provider, what you can you do?
Prescribe correctly
- Avoid treating viral syndromes with antibiotics, even when patients ask for them.
- Pay attention to dose and duration: The right antibiotic needs to be prescribed at the right dose for the right duration.
- Be aware of antibiotic-resistance patterns in your area so that you can always choose the right antibiotic.
- Hospital and nursing home providers should reassess within 48 hours of starting the antibiotic, when the patient’s culture results come back. Adjust the prescription if necessary. Stop the prescription if indicated.
Collaborate with each other and with patients
- Talk to your patients about appropriate use of antibiotics.
- Include microbiology cultures, when possible, when ordering antibiotics.
- Work with pharmacists to ensure appropriate antibiotic use to prevent resistance and adverse events.
- Use patient and provider resources offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and professional organizations, such as Society for Healthcare Epidemiology.
- Provider Resources: http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/
- Patient Resources: http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/index.html
- General Information: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/protecting_yourself_family.html
Stop the spread
- Follow hand hygiene and other infection control measures with every patient.
Embrace antibiotic stewardship
- Improve antibiotic use in all facilities – regardless of size – through stewardship interventions and programs, which will improve individual patient outcomes, reduce the overall burden of antibiotic resistance and save healthcare dollars.
- Recognize and participate in CDC’s Get Smart About Antibiotics Week Initiatives
For more information on Great Plains Quality Innovation Network’s efforts and have accesses to resources and educational opportunities, be sure to join our Learning and Action Network