Last month, In honor of Antibiotic Awareness Week, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee (ASC) at Jamaica Hospital exhibited educational displays in the hospital’s main lobby.
The committee shared information about the rising threat of antibiotic resistance as well as the importance of appropriate prescribing. Patients and staff were invited to play a game of “Antibiotic Jeopardy” to test their knowledge.
Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual worldwide observance to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance, improve the way healthcare professionals prescribe antibiotics and educate the public about the proper use of these medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats report, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result. Using antibiotics for the inappropriate treatment of viral infections, like the flu or common cold, will not cure those infections and can lead to unnecessary side effects and can contribute to the risk of developing antibiotic resistance.
A strategy to improve antibiotic prescribing and decrease resistance is to practice antimicrobial stewardship, which is defined as coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure the appropriate use of antimicrobials by promoting the selection of optimal antimicrobial drug regimen, dose, duration of therapy and route of administration.
The Antibiotic Stewardship Committee (ASC) was established at Jamaica Hospital in August 2015. This is an interdisciplinary committee comprised of the departments of pharmacy, medicine, pathology/microbiology, infection control, environmental services, surgery, and the division of infectious diseases. The ASC reviews antibiotic orders daily for potential de-escalation/escalation, therapy changes, discontinuation and assists in the management of patients with multidrug resistant infections.
Thank you to the staff who coordinated this event. Our patients, visitors and other staff members who stopped by the table will benefit from the information that was given out.