The Role of Antibiotic Stewardship in Promoting Appropriate Antibiotic Use

Abstract

Antibiotics are one of the most significant medical discoveries in human history. The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This fact, coupled with the paucity of new antibiotic developments, has spurred efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. One of the most critical components of these efforts is antibiotic stewardship, a multidisciplinary endeavor, employing a collection of interventions in a variety of health care settings with the aim of promoting appropriate utilization of antibiotics. This article describes antibiotic stewardship programs and key practices used to minimize the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens including the optimization of antibiotic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, the application of rapid diagnostic tools, and the use of computerized provider order entry tools.

The Concept of an Ideal Antibiotic: Implications for Drug Design

“…Although there are some alternative approaches in development for combating infectious diseases (e.g., antibodies, probiotics, vaccine development, phage therapy, small-molecule adjuvants affecting immune cells), it is unreasonable to believe that they will replace antibiotics anytime soon [ 147 ]. Therefore, the main foci of our scientific advancements should be to preserve the drugs that we currently have (through the development of rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools to ensure their prudent use, and antibiotic stewardship practices [ 148 , 149 , 150 ]), in addition to facilitating the development of new antibacterial drugs.…”

Characterization of Resistance in Gram-Negative Urinary Isolates Using Existing and Novel Indicators of Clinical Relevance: A 10-Year Data Analysis

“…A plethora of resistance mechanisms has been described in various bacterial species; some of these resistance mechanisms are plasmid-mediated, which allows for their widespread dissemination and outbreak-formation (particularly in Gram-negative bacteria; e.g., transmission of carbapenemase genes), while some bacteria possess intrinsic resistance mechanisms present in all species (e.g., resistance to tetracyclines, nitrofurantoin and polymyxin B in Proteus, Providencia and Morganella species) [17][18][19][20]. During susceptibility-testing and choosing the appropriate therapy, both clinicians and clinical microbiologists need to be aware of intrinsic resistance and local developments in acquired resistance levels [21].…”

Exposure assessment of the consumers living in Mount Lebanon directorate to antibiotics through medication and red meat intake: A cross-sectional study

“…It has been reported that short-or long-term exposure to low concentration of antibiotics exposure can lead to the development of allergic reactions, disturbance of natural intestinal microflora, obesity [10][11][12], type 2 diabetes [13], increased carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and liver poisoning [5,6], multidrug resistance, and increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance [1]. Increasing antibiotic resistance is considered one of the most serious threats to human health by both the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization [14][15][16]. Recent US estimates indicate that antibiotic-resistant infections afflict more than 2 million people and kill at least 23,000 people annually [14].…”