Impact of COVID-19 on antimicrobial stewardship program: Study protocol.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to global healthcare systems.
• Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are crucial for optimizing antimicrobial use and combating resistance.
• Understanding the pandemic's impact on ASPs is vital for maintaining effective antimicrobial control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on antimicrobial stewardship program metrics.
• To compare antimicrobial use, process, and outcome indicators before and during the pandemic.
• To assess changes in antibiotic resistance patterns in the context of the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study comparing two years pre-pandemic (2018-2019) with two years during the pandemic (2020-2021).
• Data collected from Saqr Hospital, a secondary care facility in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
• Statistical analysis using SPSS, including t-tests, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Antimicrobial stewardship metrics (process, outcome, utilization) showed no significant change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Antibiotic resistance patterns were also unaffected by the pandemic during the study period.
• No significant difference was observed in key performance indicators of the ASP.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic did not adversely affect the antimicrobial stewardship program at Saqr Hospital.
• Established antimicrobial stewardship practices effectively mitigated pandemic-related disruptions on antimicrobial use and resistance.
• Findings suggest the resilience of well-implemented ASPs in secondary care settings during public health crises.