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8 strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance

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Drug-resistant infections can lead to poor health outcomes, increased health care costs and limited treatment options for patients. Numerous antimicrobial stewardship programs have been developed over the years to address the growing problem of inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics and to increase our medical arsenal against infectious diseases.

Here, Infectious Disease News spotlights eight articles that focus on specific interventions, programs and guidelines aimed at reducing antimicrobial resistance and improving the health of patients.

Signed ‘commitment letters’ lowered inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions

A simple reminder in the form of signed letters displayed in examination rooms that emphasized clinician commitment to antimicrobial stewardship reduced inappropriate prescribing for acute respiratory infections by 20% and could potentially save more than $70 million a year in drug costs in the United States. Read more.

Rapid diagnostics, antimicrobial stewardship intervention improved time to effective therapy

The use of rapid diagnostic testing along with an intervention by antimicrobial stewardship teams decreased the time to identify organisms, as well as time to receipt of effective antimicrobial therapy. Read more.

Coordinated antibiotic management reduced carbapenem use

An intervention in which clinicians received feedback about the correct use of carbapenems increased the rate of appropriate antibiotic prescribing by 30% in a tertiary hospital center in Spain. Read more.

Required indication for antimicrobials

Kimberly Boeser, PharmD, and Kati Shihadeh, MD, of the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview, discuss why required indications for antimicrobials are essential to the success of stewardship programs and lead to appropriate prescribing behaviors. Read more.

Lower vancomycin dose efficacious in C. difficile

A low dose of oral vancomycin for the treatment of Clostridium difficile was similar in efficacy to a high-dose treatment regimen. Read more.

CDC: Antibiotic resistance a serious health threat, requires urgent action

The CDC has developed a four-part solution to combat drug-resistant infections, with antimicrobial stewardship as the single most important action. Read more.

Antimicrobial resistance: Current challenges and priorities

James M. Hughes, MD, professor of medicine and public health at Emory University, discusses an integrated approach to the prevention and control of outbreaks caused by multiple drug-resistant organisms. Read more.

New antimicrobials on the horizon

Obi Nnedu, MD, MPH, and George Pankey, MD, of Ochsner Health Systems in New Orleans, review new antibiotics in development — including new carbapenems and glycopeptides — which may help in the management and control of multidrug-resistant organisms. Read more.