CDC reports progress to improve antibiotic use, stewardship

The number of U.S. hospitals with an antibiotic stewardship program that meets all core elements recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention almost doubled between 2014 and 2017 to 3,816, according to a new report by the CDC. The report highlights antibiotic stewardship improvements and resources since the agency’s last report in 2017. As of last year, for example, more than 7,600 outpatient facilities were working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations to implement all core elements of outpatient antibiotic stewardship recommended by CDC. Highlighted resources include CDC’s 2018 toolkit to help hospitals track and improve antibiotic use in treating sepsis. 

The AHA released an antibiotic stewardship toolkit in 2014 to help hospitals and health systems enhance their antimicrobial stewardship programs based on the CDC core elements, and in 2017 partnered with CDC on guidance to help small and critical access hospitals implement programs to improve antibiotic prescribing and use and reduce the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections. For more AHA resources to promote appropriate use of medical resources, visit www.aha.org.