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Antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP): an effective implementing technique for the therapy efficiency of meropenem

Aliakbar Rahbarimanesh1, Sayed Yousef Mojtahedi2, Payman Sadeghi3

  • 1Department of Pediatric Infection Disease, Bahrami Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Science, Shahid Kiaee Street (Ghasem Abad), Damavand Street, 1641744991, Tehran, Iran.

Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials
|January 31, 2019
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

The antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) significantly reduced mortality rates and improved antibiotic use in pediatric patients. This approach offers better efficacy than conventional methods for meropenem and vancomycin therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

  • Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are crucial for optimizing antibiotic prescription and efficacy.
  • Effective antibiotic use is vital in pediatric care to combat resistance and improve outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of ASPs versus conventional methods in pediatric patients.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of meropenem (MPM) and vancomycin (VMN) under different stewardship strategies.

Main Methods:

  • An interventional quasi-experimental study assessed 135 pediatric patients over two time periods (2014-2015 and 2015-2016).
  • Conventional methods were used in 2014-2015, while ASP was implemented in 2015-2016 for MPM and VMN therapy.
  • Key metrics including mortality rate, antibiotic prescription, dosage, duration, hospital stay, and blood cultures were analyzed using statistical tests.

Main Results:

  • The ASP method in 2015-2016 showed significantly lower mortality rates, antibiotic prescriptions, and shorter hospital stays compared to conventional methods in 2014-2015.
  • Positive blood cultures were also significantly reduced with the ASP approach.
  • All measured parameters demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) under ASP.

Conclusions:

  • The ASP method demonstrates superior efficacy compared to conventional approaches for administering meropenem and vancomycin in pediatric patients.
  • ASPs can serve as a valuable guide for antibiotic administration in community-based hospitals.
  • Implementing ASPs is recommended for optimizing antimicrobial therapy and improving patient outcomes.
Keywords:
ASP interventionAntibiotic therapyAntimicrobial managementAntimicrobial resistanceMeropenemVancomycin

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