PURPOSE: Little information is available on antibiotic prescription management in German hospitals. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and components of antibiotic stewardship measures in German intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: A questionnaire survey was sent to all ICUs participating in the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (n = 579) in October 2011. Data on antibiotic management structures were collected and analyzed by structural hospital and ICU factors. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 355 German ICUs (response rate 61 %). Common measures used (>80 % of the ICUs) were personnel restrictions for antibiotic prescriptions, routine access to bacterial resistance data, and pharmacy reports on antibiotic costs and consumption. A small proportion of ICUs (14 %) employed physicians specialized in the prescription of antimicrobial medication. Hospitals with their own microbiological laboratory report participation in surveillance networks for antimicrobial use (34 %) and bacterial resistance (32 %) twice as often as hospitals with external laboratories (15 and 14 %, respectively, p < 0.001). Also, non-profit and public hospitals participate more often in surveillance networks for bacterial resistance than private hospitals (>23 % vs. 11 %, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: While the majority of ICUs report to have some antibiotic policies established, the contents and composition of these policies vary. Organizational-level control strategies to improve antibiotic management are common in Germany. However, strategies widely considered effective, such as the systematic cross-institutional surveillance of antimicrobial use and bacterial resistance in a standardized manner or the employment of infectious disease specialists, are scarce. This study provides a benchmark for future antibiotic stewardship programs.
PURPOSE: Little information is available on antibiotic prescription management in German hospitals. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and components of antibiotic stewardship measures in German intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: A questionnaire survey was sent to all ICUs participating in the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (n = 579) in October 2011. Data on antibiotic management structures were collected and analyzed by structural hospital and ICU factors. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 355 German ICUs (response rate 61 %). Common measures used (>80 % of the ICUs) were personnel restrictions for antibiotic prescriptions, routine access to bacterial resistance data, and pharmacy reports on antibiotic costs and consumption. A small proportion of ICUs (14 %) employed physicians specialized in the prescription of antimicrobial medication. Hospitals with their own microbiological laboratory report participation in surveillance networks for antimicrobial use (34 %) and bacterial resistance (32 %) twice as often as hospitals with external laboratories (15 and 14 %, respectively, p < 0.001). Also, non-profit and public hospitals participate more often in surveillance networks for bacterial resistance than private hospitals (>23 % vs. 11 %, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: While the majority of ICUs report to have some antibiotic policies established, the contents and composition of these policies vary. Organizational-level control strategies to improve antibiotic management are common in Germany. However, strategies widely considered effective, such as the systematic cross-institutional surveillance of antimicrobial use and bacterial resistance in a standardized manner or the employment of infectious disease specialists, are scarce. This study provides a benchmark for future antibiotic stewardship programs.
Authors: Timothy H Dellit; Robert C Owens; John E McGowan; Dale N Gerding; Robert A Weinstein; John P Burke; W Charles Huskins; David L Paterson; Neil O Fishman; Christopher F Carpenter; P J Brennan; Marianne Billeter; Thomas M Hooton Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2006-12-13 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Florian M E Wagenlehner; Udo Hoyme; Martin Kaase; Reinhard Fünfstück; Kurt G Naber; Guido Schmiemann Journal: Dtsch Arztebl Int Date: 2011-06-17 Impact factor: 5.594
Authors: Oliver Kumpf; Jan-Peter Braun; Alexander Brinkmann; Hanswerner Bause; Martin Bellgardt; Frank Bloos; Rolf Dubb; Clemens Greim; Arnold Kaltwasser; Gernot Marx; Reimer Riessen; Claudia Spies; Jörg Weimann; Gabriele Wöbker; Elke Muhl; Christian Waydhas Journal: Ger Med Sci Date: 2017-08-01