Antibiotic Stewardship

Since their discovery, antibiotics have proven to be revolutionary in the practice of medicine allowing treatment of infections which were once considered untreatable and lethal. However, misuse of these miraculous drugs has led to significant consequences including individual patient harm resulting from antibiotic related side effects and societal harm due to the spread of antibiotic resistance.

What is Antibiotic Stewardship?

Antibiotic stewardship is a program put into place to measure and improve antibiotic prescribing by physicians and use by patients. Antibiotic stewardship strives to minimize missed or delayed diagnoses that can lead to underuse of antibiotics. It is also crucial to ensure that the right drug, dose, and duration are selected when an antibiotic is needed.
Why is it Important?

Inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistance which lowers the likelihood of the drug working in the future. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can also contribute to increased health care costs, adverse drug reactions, health care related infections, and community-associated Clostridium difficile infections. Annually in the United States, approximately two million people develop infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and 23,000 people die because of these infections (CDC).

General

Antibiotics Prescribing and Use (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/index.html)
Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Options (Source: AUR | PSC | NHSN | CDC https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/psc/aur/index.html)
NHSN Conferring Rights Template (Source: NHSN Conferring Rights Template )
Antibiotic Resistance & Patient Safety Portal (Sources: CDC https://arpsp.cdc.gov/profile/antibiotic-use/all-classes)
CDC’s Antibiotic Stewardship Training Plan (Source: https://www.train.org/cdctrain/training_plan/3697)
Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship by Setting (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/index.html)
Treatment Recommendations by Population (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/clinicians.html)
Improve Antibiotic Use – Implementing CDC’s 6/18 Initiative: A Resource Center (Source: https://www.618resources.chcs.org/priority-conditions/improve-antibiotic-use/)

Hospital/Inpatient

R3 Report Issue 35: New and Revised Requirements for Antibiotic Stewardship (Source: The Joint Commission https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/r3-report/)
Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship (Source: CDC https://arpsp.cdc.gov/profile/stewardship)
Antibiotic Prescribing and Use Implementation Resources for Hospitals (Source: CDC https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/hospital/implementation.html)

Outpatient/Dialysis

Measuring Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing (Source: Measuring Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing (cdc.gov))
Implementation Resources for Outpatient Facilities | APU | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/outpatient/implementation.html)
Improving Antibiotic Use in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities (Source: Antibiotic Prescribing in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities | Antibiotic Use | CDC)

Dental

Antibiotic Stewardship in Dentistry (Source: Antibiotic Stewardship | American Dental Association (ada.org))
Checklist for Antibiotic Prescribing in Dentistry (Source: Checklist for Antibiotic Prescribing in Dentistry (cdc.gov))
Treating Patients with Dental Pain and Swelling Fact Sheet (Source: Dentists: Be Antibiotics Aware - Treating Patients with Dental Pain and Swelling (cdc.gov))
Antibiotic Use for a Safe Dental Visit Patient Brochure (Source: Antibiotic Use For A Safe Dentist Visit (cdc.gov))

Long-Term Care

Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes (Source: Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes | APU | CDC)
Implementation Resources for Nursing Homes | APU | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/nursing-homes/implementation.html)
Antibiotic Stewardship Program for Nursing Home Providers - Training Information (Source: https://qsep.cms.gov/pubs/ClassInformation.aspx?cid=0CMSDevASP_NH_Prov)

Print/Video/Web and Graphics Materials

Patient Resources and Education | Antibiotic Use | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/materials-references/index.html)
Educational Resources for Healthcare Professionals | Antibiotic Use | CDC (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/training/materials.html)

Videos

DPH | Alliant Health Solutions Strike Team Office Hours (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzMcwEGdjTLmB9k8Jc2O9KqgLhLsFJajQ
CDC NHSN Training Videos (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrp9iOILTQYzQ_vFc-PZGhgDOL3XrXvT
CDC | Safe Healthcare Webinars (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrp9iOILTQayOi5lgk08QDgv3GHROtCf
CDC | Dialysis Safety Videos (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrp9iOILTQZZfYDSI9vYiOC2x7fSz2TE
Antimicrobial Resistance Fighter Coalition (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnVjKiiBsfA6W-7TMrUsm-w

The application instructions for the Antibiotic Stewardship Honor Roll are being revised. If you previously received a certificate prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the certificate is not expiring. Once the instructions for the new Honor Roll are posted on the website, hospitals will have a minimum of 3 months to submit their applications to DPH.

Last updated: 4/11/2023