Association between meeting core elements for inpatient antimicrobial stewardship and antibiotic utilization

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Antibiotic utilization remains a critical concern in healthcare.
• Understanding factors influencing antibiotic prescribing is essential for antimicrobial stewardship.
• Compliance with evidence-based guidelines is a key target for optimizing antibiotic use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between adherence to core elements and antibiotic utilization patterns.
• To determine if meeting specific guideline criteria correlates with prescribing of broad-spectrum or anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agents.

Main Methods:

• Multivariable analyses were employed to assess the relationship between guideline compliance and antibiotic use.
• Antibiotic utilization was measured in days of therapy per 1,000 patient days.
• Comparisons were made between facilities meeting 7 core elements and those not meeting them.

Main Results:

• Compliance with 7 core elements was associated with significantly higher utilization of broad-spectrum agents for community-acquired infections (155 vs. 133 days of therapy per 1,000 patient days, P = .02).
• Higher use of anti-MRSA agents was also observed in facilities meeting core elements (145 vs. 124 days of therapy per 1,000 patient days, P = .03).

Conclusions:

• Adherence to core elements for antibiotic stewardship may be associated with increased use of broad-spectrum and anti-MRSA agents.
• Further research is needed to explore the nuances of guideline implementation and its impact on antibiotic prescribing practices.