Antibiotic Stewardship Program Yields Positive Results

Antibiotic resistance remains a persistent challenge, especially in hospitals, and results in about 23,000 deaths in the United States, according to the CDC. A pediatric long-term care facility in New York initiated an antibiotic-stewardship program to regulate the unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics, with the aim was to reduce the risk of resistant infections in their highly vulnerable population.

Doctors at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in Yonkers, conducted monthly audits of all antibiotics ordered from April to September 2014 and met regularly with physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and administrators to review the data and enlist staff support. The goal was to reduce prescriptions without a documented indication and also reduce the use of the topical antibiotic, mupirocin, in skin rashes and abrasions that were non-infectious.

The results of the study will be presented at the 42nd Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

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