A stepwise introduction of a successful antimicrobial stewardship program. Experience from a tertiary care university hospital in Western, Saudi Arabia

Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance has highlighted the need for effective infectious disease strategies. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) may reduce antibiotic resistance, adverse reactions, and treatment failures. This systematic review examines ASPs in Saudi Arabia, assessing their efficacy, challenges, and outcomes to improve antimicrobial use and patient care.

METHODS

Searches were carried out in the Ovid, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection databases for studies published from 2007 to July 2024, in Saudi Arabia, following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies that assessed ASPs' implementation, effectiveness, and outcomes in hospital settings were included.

RESULTS

Out of the 6080 titles identified, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, covering different regions of the country, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, Makkah, Al-Kharj, and a multi-regional study in Qassim and Riyadh. Various interventions were implemented by the ASPs, such as educational programs, audit and feedback, switching from intravenous to oral administration, and enhanced policies. These interventions collectively led to a decrease in the overall antimicrobial consumption and cost, and a reduction in cases with multidrug-resistant bacteria.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this review highlight the positive impact of ASPs in Saudi Arabia. However, addressing challenges such as data limitations and training gaps is essential to enhance their effectiveness. Expanding education and refining implementation strategies are crucial for ensuring their long-term success.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice About Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Resistance Among Nursing Students in China: A Cross Sectional Study

Purpose

The knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) concerning antibiotics by healthcare students have the potential impact on controlling antibiotic abuse and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) growth. This study aims to evaluate the levels and explore the associated factors with KAP on antibiotic use and AMR in Chinese nursing students.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of demographics and selected features and KAP on antibiotic use and AMR was conducted to measure KAP levels among nursing students at various universities in Hubei Province, China. The logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the potential factors associated with the KAP.

Results

The survey eventually included a total of 1959 nursing students. The mean scores for KAP were 57.89 ±26.32, 55.00 ±12.50, and 71.88 ±15.63, respectively. Regarding knowledge, 54.3% of participants were unaware that antibiotic was ineffective against viral infections. Regarding attitude, 36% of participants agreed that current antibiotic abuse existed; 96.2% of participants thought it necessary to set up a special course on antibiotics. Regarding practice, only 48.4% of participants usually purchased antibiotics with a prescription. Multivariable analyses indicated that lack of discussion on AMR in school courses was an independent risk factor against KAP, respectively. The main knowledge sources of antibiotic being outside the classroom was an independent risk factor related to knowledge and practice. The average score >80 points was an independent protective factor related to knowledge and practice.

Conclusion

The KAP level on antibiotic use and AMR among Hubei nursing students was general and required further strengthening. Nursing students with risk factors should be prioritized in educational interventions. The findings of our study pointed out some directions for tailored interventions to improve the training on antibiotics.

Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Use and Resistance during the COVID-19 Era among Hospitals in Saudi Arabia and the Implications

The inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials increases antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which poses an appreciable threat to public health, increasing morbidity and mortality. Inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing includes their prescribing in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, despite limited evidence of bacterial infections or coinfections. Knowledge of current antimicrobial utilization in Saudi Arabia is currently limited. Consequently, the objective of this study was to document current antimicrobial prescribing patterns among Saudi hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study included patients with or without COVID-19 who were admitted to five hospitals in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Data were gathered using the Global PPS methodology and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Out of 897 hospitalized patients, 518 were treated with antibiotics (57.7%), with an average of 1.9 antibiotics per patient. There were 174 culture reports collected, representing 36.5% of all cases. The most common indication for antibiotics use was community-acquired infections, accounting for 61.4% of all cases. 'Watch' antibiotics were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics, with the cephalosporins and carbapenems representing 38.7% of all antibiotics prescribed, followed by the penicillins (23.2%). Notably, Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Azithromycin were prescribed at relatively higher rates for COVID-19 patients. These findings highlight the need for continuous efforts to optimize the rational use of antibiotics through instigating appropriate antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals and, as a result, reduce AMR in the country.

Four years after the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship program in Jordan: evaluation of program's core elements

Objectives

To combat antimicrobial resistance, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged healthcare organizations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to implement the core elements of the antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs. In response, Jordan took action and developed a national antimicrobial resistance action plan (NAP) in 2017 and commenced the AMS program in all healthcare facilities. It is paramount to evaluate the efforts to implement the AMS programs and understand the challenges of implementing a sustainable and effective program, in Low-Middle Income Country (LMIC) contexts. Therefore, the aim of this study was to appraise the compliance of public hospitals in Jordan to the WHO core elements of effective AMS programs after 4 years of commencement.

Methods

A cross-sectional study in public hospitals in Jordan, using the WHO AMS program core elements for LMICs was carried out. The questionnaire comprised 30 questions that covered the program's six core elements: leadership commitment, accountability and responsibility, AMS actions, education and training, monitoring, and evaluation, and reporting and feedback. A five-point Likert scale was employed for each question.

Results

A total of 27 public hospitals participated, with a response rate of 84.4%. Adherence to core elements ranged from (53%) in the leadership commitment domain to (72%) for AMS procedure application (actions). Based on the mean score, there was no significant difference between hospitals according to location, size, and specialty. The most neglected core elements that emerged as top priority areas were the provision of financial support, collaboration, access, as well as monitoring and evaluation.

Conclusion

The current results revealed significant shortcomings in the AMS program in public hospitals despite 4 years of implementation and policy support. Most of the core elements of the AMS program were below average, which requires hospital leadership commitment, and multifaceted collaborative actions from the concerned stakeholders in Jordan.

Ongoing Strategies to Improve Antimicrobial Utilization in Hospitals across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Findings and Implications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing global concern, increasing costs, morbidity, and mortality. National action plans (NAPs) to minimize AMR are one of several global and national initiatives to slow down rising AMR rates. NAPs are also helping key stakeholders understand current antimicrobial utilization patterns and resistance rates. The Middle East is no exception, with high AMR rates. Antibiotic point prevalence surveys (PPS) provide a better understanding of existing antimicrobial consumption trends in hospitals and assist with the subsequent implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). These are important NAP activities. We examined current hospital consumption trends across the Middle East along with documented ASPs. A narrative assessment of 24 PPS studies in the region found that, on average, more than 50% of in-patients received antibiotics, with Jordan having the highest rate of 98.1%. Published studies ranged in size from a single to 18 hospitals. The most prescribed antibiotics were ceftriaxone, metronidazole, and penicillin. In addition, significant postoperative antibiotic prescribing lasting up to five days or longer was common to avoid surgical site infections. These findings have resulted in a variety of suggested short-, medium-, and long-term actions among key stakeholders, including governments and healthcare workers, to improve and sustain future antibiotic prescribing in order to decrease AMR throughout the Middle East.

Impact of an antibiotic stewardship program on antibiotic utilization, bacterial susceptibilities, and cost of antibiotics

Antimicrobial misuse is a worldwide issue, and antimicrobial resistance is considered the most challenging aspect of health care. It has been reported that as much as 30-50% of antimicrobials prescribed in hospitals are deemed unnecessary or inappropriate. Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) include policies that apply continuous management of judicious anti-infectious treatment in the clinical setting. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of ASPs on antibiotic consumption, the costs of antibiotic expenditure, and the sensitivity of antimicrobials. A retrospective, quasi-experimental study was performed to assess the effect of ASP at An-Najah National University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in the West Bank, Palestine, over a period of 20 months before and 17 months after the implementation of the ASP. Data on antibiotic consumption were reported monthly as days of therapy per 1000 patient-days and monthly costs (USD/1000 patient-days). A total of 2367 patients who received one or more of the targeted antibiotics (meropenem, colistin and tigecycline) during their hospital stay were included in the study. They have split into two groups: 1710 patients in the pre-ASP group, and 657 patients in the post ASP group. The most significant reduction in DOT per 1000 patient-days was seen with tigecycline, with a percentage of change of - 62.08%. Furthermore, the mean cost of the three antibiotics decreased significantly by 55.5% in the post-ASP phase compared to the pre-ASP phase. After the implementation of ASP, there was a statistically significant increase in susceptibility to meropenem, piperacillin and piperacillin/tazobactam with respect to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, changes in mortality rates were not statistically significant (p = 0.057). ASP positively reduced costs and antimicrobial consumption, with no statistically significant effect on the overall mortality rate. However, a long-term evaluation of the ASP's impact is needed to conclude its lasting impact on infection-related mortality and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern.

Infectious diseases pharmacy practice, education, and research in Saudi Arabia: A review and future perspectives by the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Network at the Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy

Background

Infectious diseases (ID) pharmacy is one of the rapidly evolving clinical pharmacy specialties in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). There are gaps in the literature on ID pharmacy status in KSA. This review aimed to provide an update on the current status of several areas related to ID pharmacy in KSA, including practice, education, and research, and make pertinent recommendations for future development to achieve the KSA Vision, 2030, KSA Vision, 2030.

Methods

This review was developed by a group of ID pharmacists working in different sectors under the umbrella of the ID Pharmacy Specialty Network (PSN) of the Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SSCP). The authors evaluated domains related to ID pharmacy in KSA and searched the literature for relevant articles. Based on the experts' assessment of the current gaps and challenges, recommendations were made for future improvement.

Results

Several aspects of ID pharmacy in KSA were evaluated, including history and development, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP), roles of ID pharmacists, ID pharmacy education, and research. The biggest challenges include AMR, the varying levels of ASP implementation, and the low number of ID-trained pharmacists, especially in non-major cities. Several recommendations for improvement were discussed.

Conclusion

Infectious diseases pharmacy has sustained remarkable progress in KSA in several areas. However, more efforts are needed to increase ASP implementation, increase the number of ID-trained pharmacists, and encourage ID pharmacists in publishing and participating in practice guidelines, which will eventually help achieve the KSA Vision, 2030, KSA Vision, 2030.

Trends and Correlation Between Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotics Consumption in a Specialist Children’s Hospital from 2016 to 2021

Purpose

To explore the trends and correlation between antibiotics consumption and antimicrobial resistance in children in a specialist hospital from 2016–2021 in China.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective study investigated data on the consumption of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance in children. Antibiotics consumption was expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs)/1000 patient-days based on the Guidelines for Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical. The trends in antibiotics consumption and antimicrobial resistance rates were analyzed by linear regression, while Spearman correlation analysis was employed to evaluate their correlations.

Results

An increasing trend in the annual consumption of carbapenems and monobactams was detected (all P<0.05). A significant upward trend was detected in the annual resistance rates of Enterococcus faecium to ciprofloxacin, Streptococcus pneumonia to ceftriaxone, Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems, Enterobacter cloacae to carbapenems, Pseudomonas aeruginosa to ceftazidime, and Escherichia coli to cefepime, while the annual resistance rates of Escherichia coli to carbapenems had a significant downward trend (all P<0.05). The consumption of cephalosporin/β-lactamase inhibitor (C/BLI) combinations and carbapenems had significant positive correlations with the resistance rates of Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems (r=0.763, P<0.001; r=0.806, P<0.001), Enterobacter cloacae to carbapenems (r=0.675, P<0.001; r=0.417, P=0.043), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to ceftazidime (r=0.625, P=0.001; r=0.753, P<0.001), respectively. Also, increasing consumption of monobactams was related to the upward resistance rates of Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems (r=0.557, P=0.005) and Enterobacter cloacae to carbapenems (r=0.507, P= 0.011).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated significant positive associations between antibiotics consumption and specific antimicrobial resistance rates. The current findings pointed out some directions to pursue in controlling the prevalence of certain resistant bacterial strains in children.

Effectiveness of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Long-Term Care: A Five-Year Prospective Single-Center Study

Objective

To report the effectiveness of the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in a long-term care (LTC) facility, by analyzing the change in antimicrobial consumption and cost and multidrug resistance (MDR) rates over a 5-year period.

Method

A prospective interventional study was conducted at a 106-bed facility (nursing home: 100 beds and an intensive care unit (ICU): 6 beds). The ASP was designed and led by a multidisciplinary team including an infectious disease consultant, two clinical pharmacists, a clinical microbiologist, and an infection control preventionist. Five key performance indicators were monitored: (1) intravenous (IV)-to-oral switch rate, (2) consumption of restricted IV antimicrobials (raw consumption and defined daily doses (DDD) index), (3) cost of restricted IV antimicrobials, (4) antimicrobial sensitivity profiles, and (5) MDR rate among hospital-acquired infections (MDR-HAI).

Result

A ∼5.5-fold enhancement of the IV-to-oral switch and a 40% reduction in the overall consumption of restricted IV antimicrobials were observed. Regarding the cost, the cumulative cost saving was estimated as 5.64 million SAR (US$1.50 million). Microbiologically, no significant change in antimicrobial sensitivity profiles was observed; however, a large-size reduction in the MDR-HAI rate was observed, notably in ICU where it declined from 3.22 per 1,000 patient days, in 2015, to 1.14 per 1,000 patient days in 2020. Interestingly, the yearly overall MDR rate was strongly correlated with the level of antimicrobial consumption.

Conclusion

The implementation of a multidisciplinary ASP in LTC facilities should be further encouraged, with emphasis on physicians' education and active involvement to enhance the success of the strategy.

The evaluation of adverse drug reactions in Saudi Arabia: A retrospective observational study

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the type, severity, seriousness, reasons, and outcomes of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the reports submitted to the regional spontaneous ADR database.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted to analyze all the Tabuk Health Affairs hospitals in Saudi Arabia submitted to SFDA from January 2020 to December 2020. The database was structured according to the Saudi ADR form’s fields. The Naranjo algorithm was used to assess the causes of the ADRs (sFDA, 2022).

Results

For 1 year, 2,349 ADR reports, along with 242 suspected drugs for 4,114 reactions, were submitted to SFDA. We found more males than females had ADRs (56.1% vs. 43.8%, P < 0.05).

Antimicrobial drugs (26.9%), hematologic drugs (19.7%), and neuropsychiatric drugs (12.9%) were responsible for most ADRs. Most of the reactions were associated with the use of ciprofloxacin (7.7%), followed by the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir (4.1%). Two deaths resulted from salbutamol and cefazolin use. Based on the results of the Naranjo assessment of causality, cardiovascular events (9.9%) exhibited the highest score (≥9) for a causal relationship with the suspected drugs, followed by dermatological events (9.5%).

Conclusions

The spontaneous report database is an important and valuable source of aftermarket authorization safety information. In our study, most drugs used as antimicrobial, cardiovascular, and hematologic therapies were associated with a higher risk of developing severe and serious events. We recommend monitoring and using medications optimally to ensure patient safety.

Developing a theory-based behavior change intervention to improve the prescription of surgical prophylaxis

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly pervasive due to multiple, complex prescribing and consuming behaviours. Accordingly, behaviour change is an important component of response to AMR. Little is known about the best approaches to change antibiotic use practices and behaviours. Aim This project aims to develop a context-specific behaviour change strategy focusing on promoting appropriate prescription practices following the World Health Organization recommendations for surgical prophylaxis in an orthopaedic surgery unit in Egypt. Method The project included a formative qualitative research study with 31 in-depth interviews with orthopaedic surgeons that was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and an intervention that was developed to following the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) in a knowledge co-production workshop with ten public health experts that ensured that the theory based intervention was a culturally acceptable, practical and implementable intervention. Results The prescription of surgical prophylaxis was influenced by eight TDF domains from which workshop participants selected five to be included in the behaviour change intervention including, knowledge, belief in consequences (mistrust towards infection prevention and control measures), environmental factors (lack of prescription guidelines), professional role and reinforcement (a lack of appropriate follow up actions influenced prescription of surgical prophylaxis). The appropriate set of behaviour change functions of BCW and related activities to improve the current practices included education, enablement, persuasion, environmental restructuring and restriction. Conclusion The study showed that a theory based, and context specific intervention can be created by using the TDF and BCW together with knowledge-co creation to improve the prescription of surgical prophylaxis in and Egyptian orthopaedic unit. The intervention needs to piloted and scaled up.

Implementation of pharmacist-managed early switch from intravenous to oral therapy using electronic identification at a tertiary academic hospital

Overutilization of intravenous (IV) medications can result in drug shortages, which is one of the major health care crisis, in addition to increasing costs, length of hospital stays (LOS) and the associated complications. We hypothesized that IV therapy was overused at our hospital where oral (PO) was applicable, and that the implementation of IV-PO protocol could result in a cost-effective practice. Hence, we aimed at assessing impact and outcomes of implementing such a protocol. A single center, prospective quasi-interventional study conducted at tertiary academic hospital. A protocol was implemented targeting 17 medications, with educational sessions to medical staff during a 5-month phase. IV orders of 48 h or more, among adult patients at medical or surgical wards with no contraindication to PO route were eligible. Once eligible, pharmacists send interventions using hospital's computerized order entry system, and physicians' responses were monitored on daily basis. Efficacy was estimated by percentage of switch recommendations that resulted in effective switch to PO medication. Cost-minimization analysis was used for course cost between the control phase and intervention phase. Length of hospital stay (LOS), readmissions within 90 days and in-hospital mortality were analyzed as secondary outcomes. During intervention phase, 781 patients had at least one IV order switched to PO. Gastric acid-reducing agents (GARAs) accounted for the most IV prescriptions (50.4%), followed by antibiotics (39.6%). Pharmacists carried out 2677 interventions to which switch recommendations were issued in 1185 (44.3%). Primary switch recommendations (N = 677) led to effective switch in 60.7% cases. These included per protocol switch (8.9%), switch to another PO (2.5%), spontaneous switch by physician (17.6%) and IV discontinuation (31.8%). The overall efficacy was estimated as 62.8%. The intervention was associated with reduced IV consumption from 4,574-18,597 vials in control phase to 3,654-15,546 vials in intervention phase, which resulted in overall cost saving of 50,960.8 SAR ($13,589.5), with an average monthly cost saving of 10,192.2 SAR ($2,717.9). Pharmacist-managed early switch from IV-PO therapy, with physicians' education, showed significant reduction in IV medication use in our hospital. By reducing unnecessary IV use, this strategy enabled considerable cost savings, besides the potential advantages of convenience and safety.

A systematic review of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program implementation in Middle Eastern countries

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to global health. Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) are adopted by healthcare systems worldwide. This review aimed to evaluate the published practices of ASPs in Middle Eastern countries.

METHODS

Searches were carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Google, and Google Scholar electronic databases for studies published from January 2005 to December 2020 that assessed ASP practices in Middle Eastern countries, following PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Of the 422 titles identified, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. Eight studies were conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, five in Qatar, two each in Lebanon and Jordan, and one each in Palestine and UAE; there was also one multinational study. Different ASP practices, including prospective auditing and feedback, pre-authorization, tracking, antibiotic restriction, education, de-escalation, and intravenous-to-oral switch, were reported. ASP practices correlated with improved susceptibility rates and decreases in antimicrobial use.

CONCLUSION

The outcomes of this review reveal the scarcity of data on ASP practices. The introduction of ASPs in hospitals in Middle Eastern countries has led to favorable clinical effects. Policymakers and stakeholders should promote and invest in implementing these programs as an essential component of their healthcare systems.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Implementation in a Saudi Medical City: An Exploratory Case Study

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in hospitals have long been shown to improve antimicrobials' use and reduce the rates of antimicrobial resistance. However, their implementation in hospitals, especially in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia, remains low. One of the main barriers to implementation is the lack of knowledge of how to implement them. This study aims to explore how an antimicrobial stewardship programme was implemented in a Saudi hospital, the challenges faced and how they were overcome, and the program outcomes. A key stakeholder case study design was used, involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with the core members of the ASP team and analysis of 35 ASP hospital documents. ASP implementation followed a top-down approach and involved an initial preparatory phase and an implementation phase, requiring substantial infectious diseases and clinical pharmacy input throughout. Top management support was key to the successful implementation. ASP implementation reduced rates of multi-drug resistance and prescription of broad-spectrum antimicrobials. The implementation of ASPs in hospital is administrator rather than clinician driven. Outsourcing expertise and resources may help hospitals address the initial implementation challenges.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes in Saudi Hospitals: Evidence from a National Survey

Saudi hospitals and healthcare facilities are facing increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of new multi-drug resistant strains. This is placing an unprecedented threat to successful treatments and outcomes of patients accessing those facilities. The inappropriate use of antimicrobials is fueling this crisis, warranting urgent implementation of interventions to preserve antimicrobials and reduce resistance rates. Antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) can improve antimicrobial use, treatment success rates and reduce the levels of antimicrobial resistance. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) devised a national antimicrobial stewardship plan to implement ASPs in hospitals, but little is known about the progress of implementation and the factors affecting it. This study aims to assess the level and the factors affecting the adoption and implementation of ASPs in Saudi hospitals at a national level. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2017 using an online questionnaire sent to all MOH hospitals. Overall, 147 out 247 MOH hospitals responded to the survey (54%). Only 26% of the hospitals reported the implementation of ASPs. Hospitals lack the knowledge, technological and staff resources to adopt and implement ASPs. Alternative models of ASP adoption could be explored to improve the rates of implementation of ASPs.

Mapping hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes in the Gulf Cooperation Council states against international standards: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

While there is evidence of implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, there has been limited benchmarking and mapping to international standards and frameworks.

AIM

To critically appraise and synthesize the evidence of ASP implementation in GCC hospitals with reference to the framework of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identifying key facilitators and barriers.

METHODS

A systematic review protocol was developed based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses for Protocols guidelines. Five electronic databases were searched for studies published in English from 2010 onwards. Study selection, quality assessment and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. A narrative synthesis was conducted with ASP interventions mapped to CDC core elements.

FINDINGS

Seventeen studies were identified, most of which (N=11) were from Saudi Arabia. Mapping to the CDC framework identified key areas of strengths and weaknesses in reporting implementation. Studies more commonly reported core elements of pharmacy expertise, selected aspects of implementation actions, tracking, antibiotic use and resistance, and education. Little emphasis was placed on the reporting of leadership and accountability. Key implementation facilitators were physician and organization support, information systems and education, and barriers were dedicated staff, workload and funding.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to enhance the reporting of ASP implementation in GCC hospitals. The CDC framework should be used as a guide during the development, implementation and reporting of ASP interventions. Action is required to identify facilitators and overcome barriers, where possible.

Antibiotic resistance patterns in human, animal, food and environmental isolates in Ghana: a review

Many articles have been published on resistant microorganisms isolated from humans, animals, foods and the environment in Ghana. However, there are no reviews that summarize the information on the isolates and antibiotics tested so far in the country. This literature review was completed through “PubMed” and “Google Scholar” searches. We included publications from the period 1975-2015 with a laboratory-based methodology to determine antibiotic resistance of strains isolated in Ghana. In total, 60 articles were included in the analysis with 10% of the articles carrying out nationwide research on antibiotic resistance. The regions of Ghana with the highest published articles were Greater Accra (40%), Ashanti (21.7%) and Northern Region (10%). Most of the studies (86.7%) were related to isolates collected from human samples followed by environmental (5%), animal (3%) and food samples (2%). Ten different bacteria genera were observed in the studies. The most common was Escherichia coli, followed by Staphylococcus spp., Mycobacterium spp. and Streptococcus spp. The highest mean resistance rate was encountered in Escherichia coli (62.2%) followed by Klebsiella spp. (60.4%) and Pseudomonas spp. (52.1%). High resistance rates have been found in Ghana, however, the data are skewed and some regions of the country have been neglected. There is a need for higher quality research to establish and monitor resistance patterns in Upper West, Brong-Ahafo, Volta and Eastern Regions of Ghana.

Impact of antimicrobial stewardship managed by clinical pharmacists on antibiotic use and drug resistance in a Chinese hospital, 2010-2016: a retrospective observational study

OBJECTIVES

'National Special Stewardship in the Clinical Use of Antibiotics' was put forward in July 2011 in China. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the impact of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) managed by clinical pharmacists on antibiotic utilisation, prophylaxis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

DESIGN

This was a retrospective observational study of trends in antibiotic use and AMR in the context of AMS.

SETTING

Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, a 1400-bed tertiary hospital, in China.

DATA AND PARTICIPANTS

Antibiotic prescriptions from 820 doctors included all outpatients (n=17 766 637) and inpatients (n=376 627) during 2010-2016. Bacterial resistance data were from all inpatients (n=350 699) during 2011-2016.

INTERVENTIONS

Multiaspect intervention measures were implemented by clinical pharmacists (13 persons), for example, formulating the activity programme and performance management, advising on antibacterial prescriptions and training.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The proportion of antibiotic prescriptions among outpatients and inpatients, intensity of consumption in defined daily dose (DDD)/100 bed-days, antibiotic prophylaxis in type I incision operations and resistance rates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were retrospectively analysed.

RESULTS

The proportion of antibiotic prescriptions decreased in outpatients (from 19.38% to 13.21%) and in inpatients (from 64.34% to 34.65%), the intensity of consumption dropped from 102.46 to 37.38 DDD/100 bed-days. The proportion of antibiotic prophylaxis decreased from 98.94% to 18.93%. The proportion of rational timing of initial dose increased from 71.11% to 96.74%, the proportion of rational duration rose from 2.84% to 42.63%. Time series analysis demonstrated the resistance rates of E. coli and P. aeruginosa to fluoroquinolones decreased, the incidence rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus also decreased, whereas the resistance rates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae to carbapenems increased. The antibiotic use was partly positively correlated with AMR.

CONCLUSIONS

AMS had an important role in reducing antibiotic use and surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The AMR was positively correlated with antibiotic consumption to some extent.

Antimicrobial consumption in three pediatric and neonatal intensive care units in Saudi Arabia: 33-month surveillance study

Background

Despite their critical role in antimicrobial stewardship programs, data on antimicrobial consumption among the pediatric and neonatal population is limited internationally and lacking in Saudi Arabia. The current study was done as part of our antimicrobial stewardship activities.

Objectives

To calculate overall and type-specific antimicrobial consumption.

Methods

A prospective surveillance study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between October 2012 and June 2015 in two pediatric and one neonatal intensive care units (ICUs). Consumption data were collected manually on a daily basis by infection control practitioners. Data were presented as days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days and as frequency of daily consumption.

Results

During the 33 months of the study, a total of 30,110 DOTs were monitored during 4921 admissions contributing 62,606 patient-days. Cephalosporins represented 38.0% of monitored antimicrobials in pediatric ICUs followed by vancomycin (21.9%), carbapenems (14.0%), aminoglycosides (8.8%), and piperacillin/tazobactam (8.8%). Their consumption rates were 265.1, 152.6, 97.6, 61.4, and 61.4 DOTs per 1000 patient-days (respectively). Aminoglycosides represented 45.4% of monitored antimicrobials in neonatal ICU followed by cephalosporins (30.4%) vancomycin (13.6%), and carbapenems (8.3%). Their consumption rates were 147.5, 98.7, 44.3, and 27 DOTs per 1000 patient-days (respectively).

Conclusion

Cephalosporins are frequently used in pediatric ICU while aminoglycosides are frequently used in neonatal ICU. The local consumption of cephalosporins and carbapenems in both ICUs is probably higher than international levels. Such data can help in establishing and monitoring the functions of antimicrobial stewardship activities aiming to ensure judicious consumption of antimicrobials.

Barriers to implementing antimicrobial stewardship programmes in three Saudi hospitals: Evidence from a qualitative study

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Adoption of ASPs in Saudi hospitals remains low despite a national implementation strategy.

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Lack of enforcement of policies and guidelines is a main contributor to inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing.

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Barriers to ASP adoption in Saudi hospitals are mainly organisational.

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Physicians’ fears and concerns inhibit their adoption of antimicrobial stewardship practices.

Objectives

This study explored antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) team members’ perspectives regarding factors influencing the adoption and implementation of these programmes in Saudi hospitals.

Methods

This was a qualitative study based on face-to-face semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals involved in ASPs and activities across three Ministry of Health (MoH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia (n = 18). Interviews were also conducted with two representatives of a General Directorate of Health Affairs in a Saudi region and two representatives of the Saudi MoH (n = 4) between January–February 2017.

Results

Despite the existence of a national strategy to implement ASPs in Saudi MoH hospitals, their adoption and implementation remains low. Hospitals have their own antimicrobial stewardship policies, but adherence to these is poor. ASP team members highlight that lack of enforcement of policies and guidelines from the MoH and hospital administration is a significant barrier to ASP adoption and implementation. Other barriers include disintegration of teams, poor communication, lack of recruitment/shortage of ASP team members, lack of education and training, and lack of health information technology (IT). Physicians’ fears and concerns in relation to liability are also a barrier to their adoption of ASPs.

Conclusion

This is the first qualitative study exploring barriers to ASP adoption and implementation in Saudi hospitals from the perspective of ASP team members. Formal endorsement of ASPs from the MoH as well as hospital enforcement of policies and provision of human and health IT resources would improve the adoption and implementation of ASPs in Saudi hospitals.

Value of hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs [ASPs]: a systematic review

Background

Hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) aim to promote judicious use of antimicrobials to combat antimicrobial resistance. For ASPs to be developed, adopted, and implemented, an economic value assessment is essential. Few studies demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of ASPs. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the economic and clinical impact of ASPs.

Methods

An update to the Dik et al. systematic review (2000-2014) was conducted on EMBASE and Medline using PRISMA guidelines. The updated search was limited to primary research studies in English (30 September 2014-31 December 2017) that evaluated patient and/or economic outcomes after implementation of hospital ASPs including length of stay (LOS), antimicrobial use, and total (including operational and implementation) costs.

Results

One hundred forty-six studies meeting inclusion criteria were included. The majority of these studies were conducted within the last 5 years in North America (49%), Europe (25%), and Asia (14%), with few studies conducted in Africa (3%), South America (3%), and Australia (3%). Most studies were conducted in hospitals with 500-1000 beds and evaluated LOS and change in antibiotic expenditure, the majority of which showed a decrease in LOS (85%) and antibiotic expenditure (92%). The mean cost-savings varied by hospital size and region after implementation of ASPs. Average cost savings in US studies were $732 per patient (range: $2.50 to $2640), with similar trends exhibited in European studies. The key driver of cost savings was from reduction in LOS. Savings were higher among hospitals with comprehensive ASPs which included therapy review and antibiotic restrictions.

Conclusions

Our data indicates that hospital ASPs have significant value with beneficial clinical and economic impacts. More robust published data is required in terms of implementation, LOS, and overall costs so that decision-makers can make a stronger case for investing in ASPs, considering competing priorities. Such data on ASPs in lower- and middle-income countries is limited and requires urgent attention.

Implementation and Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Tertiary Care Center in South India

Background

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health threat internationally but, particularly in India. A primary contributing factor to this rise in resistance includes unregulated access to antimicrobials. Implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in the acute hospital setting will help curb inappropriate antibiotic use in India. Currently, ASPs are rare in India but are gaining momentum. This study describes ASP implementation in a large, academic, private, tertiary care center in India.

Methods

An ASP was established in February 2016 consisting of an administrative champion, hospitalist, microbiologist, intensivist, and pharmacists. Antimicrobial stewardship program interventions included postprescriptive audit and establishment of institutional guidelines. The ASP tracked appropriate drug selection including loading dose, maintenance dose, frequency, route, duration of therapy, de-escalation, and compliance with ASP recommendations. Defined daily dose (DDD) of drugs and cost of antimicrobials were compared between the pre-implementation phase (February 2015–January 2016) and post-implementation phase (February 2016–January 2017).

Results

Of 48 555 patients admitted during the post-implementation phase, 1020 received 1326 prescriptions for restricted antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy was appropriate in 56% (742) of the total patient prescriptions. A total of 2776 instances of “inappropriate” antimicrobial prescriptions were intervened upon by the ASP. Duration (806, 29%) was the most common reason for inappropriate therapy. Compliance with ASP recommendations was 54% (318). For all major restricted drugs, the DDD/1000 patient days declined, and there was a significant reduction in mean monthly cost by 14.4% in the post-implementation phase.

Conclusions

Implementation of a multidisciplinary antibiotic stewardship program in this academic, large, Indian hospital demonstrated feasibility and economic benefits.

Epidemiology of common resistant bacterial pathogens in the countries of the Arab League

No uniformly organised collection of data regarding antimicrobial resistance has occurred in the countries of the Arab League. 19 countries of the Arab League have published data for antimicrobial susceptibility for the WHO priority organisms, and seven of 14 of these organisms are included in this Review (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae). Although E coli and Klebsiella spp resistance to third-generation cephalosporins is common in all countries, with prevalence reaching more than 50% in Egypt and Syria, carbapenem resistance is emerging, albeit with a prevalence of less than 10%. Conversely, a large amount of carbapenem resistance has been reported for P aeruginosa and A baumannii across the Arab League, reaching 50% and 88% of isolates in some countries. As for Salmonella spp, the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance has exceeded 30% in several areas. With regards to the Gram-positive pathogens, the prevalence of meticillin resistance in S aureus is reported to be between 20% and 30% in most countries, but exceeds 60% in Egypt and Iraq. The prevalence of penicillin non-susceptibility among pneumococci has reached more than 20% in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. These findings highlight the need for structured national plans in the region to target infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

Are antimicrobial stewardship programs effective strategies for preventing antibiotic resistance? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) have been proposed as a solution for the global burden of antibiotic resistance, despite the lack of evidence on the subject.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the role of ASPs in reducing bacterial resistance to antibiotics in hospital settings.

DATA SOURCES

A review in PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, and SciELO databases was performed. The period analyzed was January 1, 2012-January 4, 2017.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Studies that related ASPs to bacterial resistance.

DATA EXTRACTION

All studies that did not focus on ASPs were removed. Antifungal and antiviral programs were excluded.

RESULTS

Only 8 studies had quasi-experimental designs, and none were controlled trials. ASP strategies and microorganism-antibiotic pairs evaluated varied widely. Seven studies were classified as presenting clearly positive results, 3 had limited positive results, 7 had doubtful results, 4 had negative results, and 5 had noninterpretable results. The implementation of new infection control practices occurred in 7 studies.

LIMITATIONS

There are yet few studies on this matter, and most of them have inadequate study designs. Great heterogeneity between study features was detrimental to drawing evidence-based conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no solid evidence that ASPs are effective in reducing antibiotic resistance in hospital settings. We uphold the need for more studies with appropriate study designs, standardized ASP interventions targeting common microorganism-antibiotic pairs, and avoiding simultaneous implementation of infection control practices.

Evaluating quantity and quality of literature focusing on health economics and pharmacoeconomics in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

BACKGROUND

The importance of pharmacoeconomics and health economics has been augmented. It has the potential to provide evidence to aid in optimal decision-making in the funding of cost-effective medicines and services in Gulf Cooperation Council countries (G.C.C).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the quality and quantity of health economic researches published until the end of 2017 in G.C.C. and to identify the factors that affect the quality of studies.

METHOD

Studies were included according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quantity was recorded, and the quality was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument.

RESULTS

Forty-nine studies were included. The mean (SD) quality score of all studies was 57.83 (25.05), and a high number of reviewed studies (47%) were evaluated as either poor or extremely poor quality. The factors that affect the quality of studies with statistical significance were, the type and method of economic evaluation, the economic outcome was the objective of the research, author`s background, the perspective of the study, health intervention and source of funding.

CONCLUSION

The use of economic evaluation studies in G.C.C was limited. Different factors that affect the quality of articles such as performing a full economic evaluation and choosing societal perspective were identified. Strategies to improve the quality of future studies were recommended.