The Sepsis Alliance released a new report showing increasing concern among hospital executives on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this report, the Sepsis Alliance surveyed hospital C-suite executives who overwhelmingly agreed that AMR is a threat to society and could potentially lead to another pandemic. The report includes solutions to alleviate the AMR problem and how health care professionals are responsible for helping to solve it.
The Department of Health (DOH) is has resources to address AMR. Click here to sign up for the DOH HAIAR (Health care-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance) program’s updates.
Antibiotic stewardship spotlight: C. difficile
This past month of November wasbeen C. difficile infection (CDI) awareness month. AMS can help reduce CDIs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), implementing antibiotic stewardship programs in all health care settings –including hospitals, dental offices and outpatient settings – can help reduce CDIs. The CDC also recommends reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing to prevent avoidable adverse events from antibiotics. AMS is a systematic approach to developing coordinated interventions to reduce overuse and inappropriate antibiotic selection , and to achieve optimal outcomes for patients in cost-efficient ways.
WSHA is also here to help you identify and address barriers for CDI prevention in health care facilities, expand implementation of AMS programs and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing to prevent avoidable adverse events resulting from antibiotics. For more information, contact SandraA@wsha.org. (Sandra Assasnik)
