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Published on: August 30, 2018
Antimicrobial stewardship in pediatric care: strategies and future directions
Jason G Newland1, Ritu Banerjee, Jeffrey S Gerber
1Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA. jnewland1@cmh.edu
Insights
Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are crucial for combating antimicrobial resistance. This review outlines their development, impact, and future research needs in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Public health
Background:
- Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global threat, necessitating judicious antimicrobial use.
- New antimicrobial drug development is declining, increasing the importance of existing therapies.
- Pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are essential but face unique challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development process of pediatric ASPs.
- To review current data on the effectiveness of pediatric ASPs.
- To identify priorities and challenges for future pediatric ASP research.
Main Methods:
- This review synthesizes existing literature on pediatric antimicrobial stewardship.
- It examines data on the impact and outcomes of implemented pediatric ASPs.
- It analyzes challenges in study design and endpoint selection for pediatric ASP research.
Main Results:
- Pediatric ASPs are vital for optimizing antimicrobial prescribing in children.
- Evidence demonstrates the positive impact of pediatric ASPs on prescribing quality and safety.
- Key challenges include specific pediatric considerations and research methodology.
Conclusions:
- Developing and implementing pediatric ASPs is critical for combating antimicrobial resistance.
- Further research is needed to refine study designs and establish appropriate endpoints for pediatric ASPs.
- Addressing unique pediatric issues is paramount for effective antimicrobial stewardship in children.
Abstract:
Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are an effective strategy for improving the quality and safety of antimicrobial prescribing for hospitalized patients. Pediatric ASPs are in their early stages of development, and there are unique issues relevant to children. The imperative to ensure that antimicrobials are prescribed judiciously is highlighted by the ongoing epidemic increase in antimicrobial-resistant infections and the simultaneous decline in the rate of new drug development. In this review we describe the process of ASP development for pediatrics, review existing data regarding the impact of pediatric ASPs, and describe the priorities and challenges for ASP research including study design and appropriate end points.
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