New Euro-advice on antimicrobial resistance

New European guidance aims to help hospitals control antimicrobial resistance.

A group of infection specialists led by Professor Celine Pulcini of the University of Lorraine, France, created the guidance as part of antimicrobial stewardship programmes, together with researchers from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in India.

These programmes are intended to include "a coherent set of actions which promote using antimicrobials in ways that ensure sustainable access to effective therapy for all who need them".

The guidance consists of seven core elements and 29 related checklist items describing the essential and minimum standards for hospital-based antimicrobial stewardship programmes. They are applicable in both high and low-to-middle income countries.

Among the core recommended elements are: having a senior hospital management leadership on the topic; local expertise on infection management available; and procedures for monitoring, surveillance and feedback.

The guidance was released yesterday (3 April). Professor Pulcini believes that the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programmes is being held back by the lack of a universal definition for antimicrobial stewardship.

She said: "We hope this work will be useful to those who develop national stewardship guidelines in their respective countries. Such core elements can also help effectively monitor the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in hospitals.

"This is a consensus that is applicable around the world and not just in high-income countries. Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that needs global solutions, for the benefit of the patients and the greater good. All hospitals should be able to implement a set of essential antimicrobial stewardship strategies."

The authors point out that the guidance resembles that of the US Centers of Diseases Control and Prevention, but is "more comprehensive and more generic".

Pulcini, C. et al. Consensus paper: Developing core elements and checklist items for global hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes: a consensus approach. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 3 April 2018; doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.03.033

Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2018.03.033

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