Hospital antibiotic management in Germany--results of the ABS maturity survey of the ABS International group.
BACKGROUND
There is much discussion about which measure or bundle of measures is most efficient in hospital antibiotic management programs, and it is often unknown which parts of such programs are readily available. The ABS International group conducted a survey to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of country-specific hospital antibiotic management programs and program components. This paper summarizes the results for Germany.


METHODS
The survey was conducted in April and May 2007. A questionnaire with various items related to hospital antibiotic management including control of consumption and availability of diagnostic microbiology was sent to hospital pharmacists through the ADKA (Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker). The questionnaires were analyzed by calculating mean scores for the various items and topics.


RESULTS
Of 400 questionnaires sent, 48 were returned and evaluable. Most respondents represented general hospitals in the southern part of Germany. Items that scored high were related to frequency of evaluation of antibiotic resistance data (4.48), availability of (simple) management tools for antibiotic prescribing (4.05), and control of antibiotic consumption (4.02). Items related to the availability of trained and dedicated antibiotic management officers scored very low.


CONCLUSIONS
Shortage of trained and dedicated personnel may limit the organization of effective antibiotic management in many German hospitals.
Kern
Winfried V
WV
Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Zentrum Infektiologie und Reisemedizin, Freiburg, Germany. kern@if-freiburg.de
Steib-Bauert
Michaela
M
Amann
Steffen
S
Fellhauer
Matthias
M
de With
Katja
K
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; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents