Antimicrobial stewardship stabilizes resistance patterns in a behavioral health setting.
BACKGROUND
Connecticut Valley Hospital, an inpatient tertiary care psychiatric hospital, identified a significant increase in the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli to multiple antibiotics including quinolones.


OBJECTIVE
To improve the resistance profile of E. coli by better managing the usage of quinolones at this hospital.


METHODS
Education was provided to physicians, nurses and pharmacists regarding antibiotic usage, restriction and prior approval of quinolones. Further education was provided when the program was determined to be effective, and continued for another year.


RESULTS
A significant reduction of the prescription of quinolones was demonstrated. The resistance patterns of E. coli to quinolones and other antibiotics stabilized.


CONCLUSIONS
In this psychiatric hospital inpatient population, antimicrobial stewardship proved to be an effective tool in managing antibiotic utilization and stabilizing antimicrobial resistance among E. coli isolates.
Freedman
Kenneth
K
Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-3735, USA. Kenneth.Freedman@state.ma.us
Kolluri
Bharat
B
Neudecker
Laurie
L
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003237:Connecticut; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D010606:Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015363:Quinolones
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015363:Quinolones