Antimicrobial Stewardship & Patient Safety
"Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die. Fighting this threat is a public health priority that requires a collaborative global approach across sectors."
Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated, evidence-based approach to using antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs in the most effective, responsible way. Its core purpose is to slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance while still ensuring that patients get the treatment they need. Here, we bring you news and insights about developments in the field.
What AMS focuses on
- Using the right drug, at the right dose, for the right duration. This avoids both under-treating infections and overusing antibiotics.
- Preventing unnecessary prescriptions. Many infections - especially viral ones - don’t benefit from antibiotics at all.
- Monitoring resistance patterns. Hospitals and health systems track which bacteria are becoming harder to treat.
- Improving diagnostics. Faster, more accurate tests help clinicians choose targeted treatments instead of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
- Stewardship and Surveillance: techniques and practices that monitor resistance patterns and track infection outbreaks support antimicrobial stewardship programs, helping healthcare providers make informed decisions and slow the spread of AMR.
News
View allA business case for diagnostic stewardship: a practical guide from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Diagnostic Stewardship Special Interest Group
Abstract
Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Introduction Diagnostic stewardship is an evidence-based framework designed to ensure the right test is ordered for the right patient, at the right time, in the most appropriate care setting, with results reported and interpreted in ways to encourage the right action. 4–6 Calculating the costs of the current state of the diagnostic test targeted for intervention As one of the core principles of diagnostic stewardship programs is to target inappropriate test use, it is necessary to first calculate the cost of the current state of a diagnostic test targeted for stewardship intervention. Since the release of CDC's Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASP) in 2014, 11 which included formal financial, information technology, and human resources support as a core element of a dedicated antimicrobial stewardship program, and the subsequent Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule in 2019 mandating formal ASPs, 12 most hospitals have implemented formal ASPs, with nearly 95% of acute care hospitals meeting all seven of CDC's hospital core elements in 2021. The assessment of disclosed relationships for COI will be based on the relative weight of the financial relationship (ie, monetary amount) and the relevance of the relationship (ie, the degree to which an association might be interpreted by an independent observer as related to the topic or recommendation of consideration).Bacteria can make testosterone. What could that mean for prostate cancer?
Abstract
The discovery of this androgen-producing pathway gives us specific genes and enzymes that can now be investigated in the context of urinary health and disease. After confirming the bacterium's testosterone-producing ability, the researchers searched its genome for the genes responsible. The correct part of the molecule must also face the correct part of the enzyme at the right distance and angle. In this case, those movements helped explain why the two enzymes behave so differently." A new question for prostate cancer research Testosterone and other androgens are essential for normal prostate development and function, but they can also promote the growth of many prostate cancers by activating the androgen receptor. The larger question is whether that chemistry has a meaningful effect in the complex environment of the human body." The work may also have implications beyond prostate research."Stewardship Pharmacists and Physicians Take the Lead on Sustainability
Abstract
When the shortage of Baxter IV fluids that followed Hurricane Helene in late 2024 strained hospital supplies, antimicrobial stewardship pharmacists at Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, added a provider-facing alert that prompted clinicians to order oral azithromycin and oral doxycycline at the point of prescribing, rather than waiting for a pharmacist to review each case for an IV-to-oral switch (Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol 2026,6[1]:e163). The share of azithromycin orders written for oral administration rose significantly, leading to a major drop in the plastic waste generated by IV azithromycin administration across the hospital system—down from 550 kg to about 280 kg per analysis period. Savings reached five figures a month.
