Antimicrobial resistance has become a global menace. As the resistance patterns and numbers are progressively increasing, it has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, especially children. Efforts are being put world-over to curb the rising resistance by various means, especially by promoting Antibiotic Stewardship Program. These are cluster of interventions t...

In a recent issue of Critical Care, we read with interest the article by Trupka et al. [1], who investigated the utility of an enhanced antimicrobial de-escalation (EAD) program in mechanically ventilated patients with suspected pneumonia. They found that the EAD program did not affect the rate of antibiotic de-escalation or the duration of antibiotic therapy in intensive care units (ICUs). We ...

BACKGROUND The clinical and economic outcomes associated with pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) and other supplemental antimicrobial stewardship (AS) interventions have not been well described or reviewed. METHODS We performed a systematic review using PubMed to identify studies with any of the following terms in the title or abstract: "antimicrobial stewardship," "antimicro...

Antibiotic stewardship is a vital strategy to address antibiotic resistance by promoting responsible use. It aimed at improving patient outcomes, reducing resistance, minimizing adverse effects, and lowering healthcare costs. Collaborative efforts among professionals from various disciplines are crucial for its successful implementation. Recognizing value beyond immediate financial benefits imp...

OBJECTIVES Antibiotic management teams (AMTs) have been advocated to optimize the use of antimicrobials in hospitals. Since 2002, the Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordination Committee (BAPCOC) has supported the development of AMTs in Belgian hospitals with policy guidance and federal funding for antibiotic managers. We performed a national, self-reporting survey to assess the level of AMT activi...

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) across global healthcare networks poses a serious threat to hospitalized individuals. Strategies to limit the emergence and spread of MDROs include oversight to decrease selective pressure for MDROs by promoting appropriate antibiotic use via antibiotic stewardship programs. However, restricting the use of one antibiotic often re...

Concomitant antibiotic use during treatment for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) increases the risk of recurrence. Across a network of children's hospitals, 46% of patients treated for CDI received concomitant antibiotics for a median of 7 days. Concomitant antibiotic use was more common among patients with malignancies, and solid organ or bone marrow transplant. Unnecessary concomitant an...

Background.  Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common diagnoses leading to an antibiotic prescription for women seeking ambulatory care. Understanding current national outpatient antibiotic prescribing practices will help ongoing stewardship efforts to optimize antibiotic use; however, information on recent national outpatient antibiotic prescribing trends for UTI is limited. Met...