Findings presented at Infectious Disease Week 2014 indicate antibiotic stewardship programs can reduce lengths of stay and readmission rates for pediatric patients.
Researchers at Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., studied the effect antibiotic stewardship programs have on clinical outcomes.
They analyzed data from patients enrolled in an audit antibiotic stewardship program from March 2008 to March 2013. The antibiotic stewardship program recommended physicians either discontinue or change the dose of the antibiotic for 17 percent of children enrolled in the program.
When physicians adhered to the program's recommendations, the average length of stay was 68 hours, compared to 82 hours for patients whose physicians did not follow the recommendation. Additionally, there were zero 30-day readmissions for patients whose physicians followed the program's recommendation, compared to a 3.5 percent readmission rate for patients whose physicians did not follow the recommendation.
Researchers suggest further studies need to be done to better demonstrate the clinical impact of ASPs.
More articles on antimicrobial stewardship:
How technology can bolster antimicrobial stewardship programs
Antibiotic resistance: 4 areas of progress, 6 challenges
Unnecessary antibiotic use leads to more than $163M in spending waste