Newswise — On Thursday, March 3, 2016, the CDC said supergerms, which are resistant to certain antibiotics, cause 1 out of 7 infections caught by hospitalized patients. One solution to keep these uber-bugs at bay?
“We focus on optimization of antimicrobial drug therapy, so using the right drug for the right patient at the right time, and for the right duration,” said Jennifer Pisano, MD, Adult Medical Director of the University of Chicago Medicine's Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP). Stewardship means finding the right balance between treating infections, but not overusing antibiotics in a way that promotes resistance.
One of the primary ways of doing this is by restricting the availability of the most powerful drugs. The ASP has put 38 adult and 42 pediatric medications on a restricted list, so if a doctor wants to prescribe one of them, the ASP team has to review the case first. If the restricted agent is approved, the ASP then consults with the physician to monitor the patient during treatment.
The ASP also works with the pharmacy and IT department to use features in the electronic medical record system to help providers choose the right antibiotics based the patient’s diagnosis or specific need. This further limits the overuse of certain agents, and saves providers a few steps in the process.
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