COVID-19 and antimicrobial stewardship: lessons learned, best practices, and future implications

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global healthcare systems, necessitating program and staff repurposing.
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) possess infrastructure and personnel crucial for pandemic response efforts.
• Limiting antimicrobial resistance remains a critical objective for ASPs during health crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the role and impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To highlight the utilization of ASP resources in COVID-19 relief and response.
• To identify challenges and future needs for ASPs in pandemic scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing data on bacterial co-infection rates during the pandemic.
• Analysis of ASP involvement in guideline creation and therapeutic agent stewardship.
• Assessment of resource and personnel disparities across different ASP settings.

Main Results:

• Bacterial co-infection rates were found to be relatively low, supporting continued antimicrobial use limitation.
• ASPs played a key role in developing COVID-19 guidelines and managing novel therapeutics.
• Significant disparities in ASP resources and personnel were identified, requiring tailored approaches.

Conclusions:

• ASPs should maintain aggressive efforts to limit unnecessary antimicrobial use, even during pandemics.
• Tailoring ASP activities to local resources is essential for effective COVID-19 response.
• Urgent investment in ASP infrastructure and personnel is needed for current relief and future pandemic preparedness.