Hospital antibiotic management in Slovakia--results of the ABS maturity survey of the ABS International group.
BACKGROUND
Antibiotic stewardship (ABS) is one of the important indicators in a healthcare system. Slovakia is participating in the project "Implementing antibiotic strategies for appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals in member states of the European Union--ABS International", the objectives of which are identification of strengths and weaknesses of antibiotic policy in participating countries. This paper summarizes the results for Slovakia.


METHODS
The questionnaire survey was conducted in May 2007. The questionnaire "ABS hospital mature" analyzed the ABS-related maturities of nine hospitals in Slovakia. The mean scores (on a scale of 1-5) for the various topics were calculated and presented in the form of an "ABS hospital maturity" pentagon. The mean total score for all antibiotic-related items was also calculated.


RESULTS
The mean total score for all items in nine evaluated hospitals in Slovakia was 3.93. Overall the grades for the diagnostic level in Slovak hospitals (3.94) scored lower in comparison with partner countries. Control of antibiotic consumption is implemented in Slovakia and therefore scored 4.07. Antibiotic-related organization and personnel development also scored high (4.08 and 4.26, respectively) in comparison with partner countries, but antibiotic-related roles and communication and antibiotic-related relationships to relevant environments were graded as not satisfactory (3.54 and 3.28, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In general, our results are similar to those found by other countries. Antibiotic-related organization and personnel development appears better developed in Slovakia than in other countries. The better scores for antibiotic organization could be explained by the existence of a centralized healthcare system for 40 years. The existence of 'antibiotic resistance laboratories' in the Slovak republic since 1971 and a national computerized reporting system for antibiotic resistance since 1984 reflect this high standard.
St. Elizabeth University College of Health and Social Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia. vladimir.krcmery@szu.sk
Vladimir
V
Krcmery
Erich
E
Kalavsky
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents