Abstract
This pilot study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) practices in a UK secondary care setting. An interrupted time-series analysis compared antibiotic prescribing patterns for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) before (2019) and during (2020) the pandemic. The study, involving 80 admissions, highlights shifts in AMS practices. Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) was the most frequent diagnosis. Compliance with AMS practices, based on the PHE SMTF toolkit, showed 100% for clinical indication and drug allergy documentation. However, CURB-65 Score compliance remained at 60%, and other AMS interventions varied, with decreased compliance during the pandemic. RTI admissions peaked at 15 in December 2019, declined to 9 in June and September 2020. The study emphasises the need for adaptable AMS strategies during health crises to mitigate antimicrobial resistance and maintain effective patient care. Future research should focus on developing resilient AMS frameworks for global health emergencies.
Original language | English |
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Publisher | Research Square Preprints |
Pages | 1-9 |
Number of pages | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 27 Aug 2024 |
Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic
- Covid-19
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)
- Antimicrobial stewardship competencies
- Antimicrobial stewardship programme
- Antimicrobial stewardship programs
- Antimicrobial Stewardship/methods
- antimicrobial
- antimicrobial agents
- Antimicrobial Classification
- antimicrobial efficacy
- antimicrobial cultures
- Antimicrobial properties
- antimicrobial resistance
- antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- Anti-Bacterial Agents
- Anti-Infective Agents
- Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use
- Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology
- Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use
- Interrupted Time-Series
- Time-Series Analysis
- Secondary Care Setting
- Secondary Care
- Acute care setting
- United Kingdom (UK)
- United Kingdom
- pilot study
- Healthcare
- Healthcare Settings
- Infection Control
- infection prevention and control
- Infection management
- infectious disease
- Antibiotic Usage
- Antibiotic awareness week
- antibiotic duration
- Antibiotic guardian
- Antibiotic Prescribing
- Antibiotic resistance
- Antibiotic review
- Antibiotic Guidelines
- UKHSA
- Pandemic Response
- Emergencies
- Crisis