Considerations for implementation: Pediatric outpatient antimicrobial stewardship program

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Formal antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs are common in acute care settings.
• The majority of antibiotic prescriptions are issued in outpatient settings.
• Outpatient settings often lack access to infectious diseases specialists, particularly for pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose considerations for adult providers and infection preventionists.
• To guide the incorporation of outpatient AS elements into community settings.
• To support quality improvement initiatives for pediatric antibiotic use.

Main Methods:

• Review of current antimicrobial stewardship practices.
• Analysis of antibiotic prescribing patterns in pediatric outpatient settings.
• Development of actionable recommendations for providers.

Main Results:

• Identified gaps in pediatric outpatient antimicrobial stewardship.
• Highlighted the need for tailored AS strategies for nonacademic settings.
• Proposed three key considerations for implementation.

Conclusions:

• Antimicrobial stewardship is crucial in outpatient pediatric settings.
• Adult providers can play a key role in optimizing pediatric antibiotic use.
• Quality improvement initiatives are essential for effective outpatient AS.