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Antibiotic stewardship interventions resulted in decreased treatment duration
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DENVER — Antibiotic stewardship interventions can result in a reduction of intravenous antibiotic treatment duration, cost savings per episode and increased availability of beds in a facility, according to data presented here at the 2013 Interscience Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Conference.
“Reducing antibiotic treatment duration may be a strategy to curtail antibiotic overuse,” the researchers wrote. “The aim of the study was to evaluate interventions to reduce average treatment duration and costs in severe infections in hospitalized children.”
The study included children aged 3 months to 18 years who received a systemic antibiotic for common bacterial infections while at Hospital JP Garrahan in Buenos Aires. Study periods included before intervention (2011; n=194) and after intervention (2012; n=207). Intervention included interactive workshops, diffusion of an algorithm and monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions.
Researchers found that the median days of treatment duration decreased in the post-intervention groups for skin and soft tissue infections (pre-intervention, 6 days; post-intervention, 3 days); pneumonia (pre-intervention, 5 days; post-intervention, 4 days); peritonitis (pre-intervention, 6 days; post-intervention, 4 days); osteoarticular infections (pre-intervention, 7 days; post-intervention, 5 days); and low-risk febrile neutropenia (pre-intervention, 5 days; post-intervention 4 days). The total median days for systemic antibiotic usage also decreased from 6.5 days in the pre-intervention period to 4 days in the post-intervention period (P=.007).
There is an estimated cost savings of $690 for skin and soft tissue infections, $460 for peritonitis and osteoarticular infections, and $230 for pneumonia and low-risk febrile neutropenia.
“A reduction in intravenous antibiotic treatment duration, cost savings per episode, and increased availability of beds in the facility was observed after the intervention,” researchers wrote.
For more information:
Ruvinsky SD. Abstract G-1250. Presented at: ICAAC 2013; Sept. 9-13, 2013; Denver.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.