Optimizing Antibiotic Use in Nursing Homes Through Antibiotic Stewardship.
Antibiotic stewardship is becoming a requirement for nursing homes. Programs should be interdisciplinary and multifaceted; should have support from nursing home administrators; and should aim to promote antibiotics only when needed, not just in case. Recommended components include use of evidence-based guidelines; ongoing monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions, cultures, and study results; monitoring of health outcomes; use of nursing home-specific antibiograms; regular reporting and feedback to medical providers and nurses; and education of residents and families.
Elizabeth and Oscar Goodwin Distinguished Professor of Family Medicine at the School of Medicine and co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability and Long-Term Care of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina psloane@med.unc.edu.
Philip D
PD
Sloane
former associate director of the North Carolina Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is currently the clinical operations director of infection prevention and epidemiology at Duke University Hospitals.
Kirk
K
Huslage
assistant professor of family medicine at the School of Medicine, medical director of the UNC REACH Home Visit Program, and a member of the Program on Aging, Disability and Long-Term Care of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Christine E
CE
Kistler
University Kenan Distinguished Professor and associate dean in the School of Social Work, and co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability and Long-Term Care of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Sheryl
S
Zimmerman
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000073602:Antimicrobial Stewardship / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000592:standards*; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000592:standards*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D058996:Quality Improvement
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents