Comprehensive Antimicrobial Stewardship Research Articles

A Systematic Analysis of Pharmacoeconomic Insights into Antimicrobial Use for Sustainable Pharmacy Practices

The escalating global challenge of antimicrobial resistance, combined with increasing healthcare costs, demands a thorough understanding of pharmacoeconomic principles in antimicrobial use. The integration of pharmacoeconomics with antimicrobial stewardship has emerged as a crucial factor in promoting sustainable pharmacy practices. Recent evidence from the past decade demonstrates that well-structured antimicrobial stewardship programs achieve significant cost savings through reduced drug expenditure, decreased length of hospital stay, and improved clinical outcomes. Targeted interventions, including prospective audit with feedback and formulary restriction, consistently yield substantial returns on investment. The implementation of clinical decision support systems and rapid diagnostic technologies, despite requiring initial capital investment, has proven cost-effective in long-term healthcare settings. Both direct and indirect costs play vital roles in antimicrobial therapy decisions, encompassing resistance-related expenses and broader societal impact. Preventive strategies and appropriate antimicrobial selection significantly reduce healthcare-associated costs while maintaining therapeutic efficacy. This information provides healthcare administrators and clinical practitioners with essential information for developing economically sustainable antimicrobial use practices while ensuring optimal patient care. The economic value of implementing comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs extends beyond immediate cost savings to include long-term benefits in resistance prevention and resource optimization

Emergence of Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin- and Colistin-Resistant Enterobacterales in Otherwise Healthy University Students.

Resistance to last resort antibiotics has been increasing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Lebanon, which has well established challenges in antimicrobial stewardship and other public health and environmental issues. However, data on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the community in Lebanon are limited. In this study, we assessed resistance to last resort antibiotics in the fecal samples of 111 otherwise healthy university students in north Lebanon. The results showed that 47.7% of the samples harbored extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant isolates, while 2.7% of the samples yielded colistin-resistant isolates. Furthermore, molecular analyses showed that the β-lactamase gene group, blaCTX-M-1 group, was detected in the majority (93%) of screened extended-spectrum β-lactamase isolates. In addition, the colistin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates carried mcr-1, including the novel mcr-1.26 variant, which was previously reported in clinical samples as well as in domesticated animals and the environment in Lebanon. Taken together, these findings highlight the occurrence of resistance to important antibiotics in the community, perhaps suggesting diffuse sources, including clinical and environmental settings, and multiple factors driving the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants. There is a pressing need for comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs and the implementation of evidence-based practices in clinical and community settings to mitigate the increasing spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Evaluation of a clinical pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship program in a neurosurgical intensive care unit: a pre-and post-intervention cohort study.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant challenge in neurosurgical intensive care units (ICU). The excessive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is closely linked to the emergence and dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria within neurosurgical ICUs. This study assessed the effects of implementing a comprehensive Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) program in a neurosurgical ICU setting. Methods: From April 2022 to September 2022, an AMS program was implemented in the neurosurgical ICU. The program involved the regular presence of a pharmacist and an infectious disease physician who conducted prospective audits and provided feedback. To assess the impact of the AMS program, the outcome measures were compared between the AMS period and the 6months before AMS implementation (pre-AMS period). The primary outcome was the use of antibacterial agents, including anti-pseudomonal beta-lactams (APBLs), polymyxin, and tigecycline. Additionally, the study evaluated the appropriateness of antimicrobial de-escalation and the susceptibility of Gram-negative bacilli to antimicrobial agents. Results: A total of 526 were included during the AMS period, while 487 patients were included in the pre-AMS period. The two groups had no significant differences in disease severity and mortality rates. During the AMS period, there was a notable decrease in the use of APBLs as empiric treatment (43.92% vs. 60.99%, p < 0.001). Multi-drug resistant organism (MDRO) infections decrease significantly during AMS period (11.03% vs. 18.48%, p < 0.001). The number of prescription adjustment increased significantly in all patients (0 item vs. 0 item, p < 0.001) and MDRO-positive patients (3 items vs. 2 items, p < 0.001) during the AMS period. Additionally, appropriate antimicrobial de-escalation for patients with MDRO showed improvement during the AMS period (39.66% vs. 20%, p = 0.001). Polymyxin utilization also decreased during the AMS period (15.52% vs. 31.11%, p = 0.034). Furthermore, the susceptibility of Gram-negative Bacilli isolates to APBLs was significantly higher during the AMS period. Conclusion: Implementing a comprehensive pharmacist-led AMS program led to a decrease in the use of antibacterial agents. This reduction in usage is significant because it can potentially delay the emergence of bacterial resistance.

The Role of Adult Vaccines as Part of Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Scoping Review.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health concern, causing an estimated 700,000 deaths annually. Although immunisation has been shown to significantly reduce AMR, the role of vaccines as part of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) practices is often overlooked. To identify and examine the available literature on the role of vaccines as part of AMS practices. A scoping review was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, CCRCT, IPA, and WoS, along with grey literature sources. The review was conducted using the JBI Methodology for Scoping Reviews and reported in line with the PRISMA-SCr checklist. Among the 1711 records identified, 34 met the inclusion criteria; 8 discussed only the concept, while 26 discussed both the concept and the vaccine implementation method in AMS practices. There were eight recommended and/or utilised types of AMS activities identified involving vaccines, under four key themes of vaccine-related AMS strategies: Education, Screening, Vaccination, and Monitoring. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines had the most evidence for inclusion. Overall, the evidence supports the role of vaccines as part of AMS practices and the value of their inclusion in creating improved and comprehensive AMS strategies to further combat the development of AMR.

Antibiograms as one-health tools for antimicrobial stewardship: California's experience with livestock antibiogram development.

Antibiograms are collections of antimicrobial susceptibility data for a particular bacterial organism and host species. Antibiograms are important tools for antimicrobial stewardship, as they may be used to guide empiric antimicrobial therapy and assess trends in antimicrobial resistance, maximizing treatment success and preserving the efficacy of currently available pharmaceuticals. Targeted use of antimicrobials is critically important to minimize the spread of antimicrobial resistance, which may be conveyed between animals and humans directly but may also be spread through the environment and ecological niches, such as soil, water, and wildlife reservoirs. To effectively utilize antibiograms as part of a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship plan, veterinarians need to know data characteristics, including the source population, body site (when possible), and number of isolates included, in addition to the animal species and bacterial organisms for which each breakpoint was developed. Although widely used in human health systems, antibiograms are not often available in veterinary medicine. This paper describes antibiogram creation and use, discusses antibiogram development by US veterinary diagnostic laboratories, and shares California's process to create and promote livestock antibiograms. The companion Currents in One Health article by Burbick et al, AJVR, September 2023, addresses the benefits and challenges associated with developing veterinary antibiograms.

Development and Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Checklist in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Co-Creation Consensus Approach.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in healthcare settings as a key measure to curb the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Defining the core elements of AMS is essential for developing and evaluating comprehensive AMS programmes. This project used co-creation and Delphi consensus procedures to adapt and extend the existing published international AMS checklist. The overall objective was to arrive at a contextualised checklist of core AMS elements and key behaviours for use within healthcare settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as to implement the checklist in health institutions in four African countries. The AMS checklist tool was developed using a modified Delphi approach to achieve local expert consensus on the items to be included on the checklist. Fourteen healthcare/public health professionals from Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Ghana and the UK were invited to review, score and comment on items from a published global AMS checklist. Following their feedback, 8 items were rephrased, and 25 new items were added to the checklist. The final AMS checklist tool was deployed across 19 healthcare sites and used to assess AMS programmes before and after an AMS intervention in 14 of the 19 sites. The final tool comprised 54 items. Across the 14 sites, the completed checklists consistently showed improvements for all the AMS components following the intervention. The greatest improvements observed were the presence of formal multidisciplinary AMS structures (79%) and the execution of a point-prevalence survey (72%). The elements with the least improvement were access to laboratory/imaging services (7%) and the presence of adequate financial support for AMS (14%). In addition to capturing the quantitative and qualitative changes associated with the AMS intervention, project evaluation suggested that administering the AMS checklist made unique contributions to ongoing AMS activities. Furthermore, 29 additional AMS activities were reported as a direct result of the prompting checklist questions. Contextualised, co-created AMS tools are necessary for managing antimicrobial use across healthcare settings and increasing local AMS ownership and commitment. This study led to the development of a new AMS checklist, which proved successful in capturing AMS improvements in Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, and Ghana. The tool also made unique contributions to furthering local AMS efforts. This study extends the existing AMS materials for low- and middle-income countries and provides empirical evidence for successful use in practice.

Plethora of Antibiotics Usage and Evaluation of Carbapenem Prescribing Pattern in Intensive Care Units: A Single-Center Experience of Malaysian Academic Hospital.

Excessive antibiotic consumption is still common among critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU), especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) period. Moreover, information regarding antimicrobial consumption among ICUs in South-East Asia remains scarce and limited. This study aims to determine antibiotics utilization in ICUs by measuring antibiotics consumption over the past six years (2016–2021) and specifically evaluating carbapenems prescribed in a COVID-19 ICU and a general intensive care unit (GICU) during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional observational analysis of antibiotics consumption and carbapenems prescriptions. Antibiotic utilization data were estimated using the WHO Defined Daily Doses (DDD). Carbapenems prescription information was extracted from the audits conducted by ward pharmacists. Patients who were prescribed carbapenems during their admission to COVID-19 ICU and GICU were included. Patients who passed away before being reviewed by the pharmacists were excluded. (3) Results: In general, antibiotics consumption increased markedly in the year 2021 when compared to previous years. Majority of carbapenems were prescribed empirically (86.8%). Comparing COVID-19 ICU and GICU, the reasons for empirical carbapenems therapy in COVID-19 ICU was predominantly for therapy escalation (64.7% COVID-19 ICU vs. 34% GICU, p < 0.001), whereas empirical prescription in GICU was for coverage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) gram-negative bacteria (GNB) (45.3% GICU vs. 22.4% COVID-19 ICU, p = 0.005). Despite microbiological evidence, the empirical carbapenems were continued for a median (interquartile range (IQR)) of seven (5–8) days. This implies the need for a rapid diagnostic assay on direct specimens, together with comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) discourse with intensivists to address this issue.

Emergence of colistin-resistant gram-negative rods in intensive care units: A cross-sectional study from a developing country.

Objectives:To determine the clinical features, outcomes, and factors associated with the emergence of colistin-resistant gram-negative rods isolated from patients admitted to intensive care units.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted at the intensive care units of Liaquat National Hospital, from April 2019 to February 2020. Gram-negative rods resistant to colistin with minimum inhibitory concentrations ⩾ 4 mcg/mL according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria as reported in cultures were included. Clinical, demographical data and treatment given were recorded and analyzed using SPSS version 25.Results:A total of 93 patients were included; 58.1% were males. The mean age of patients was 59.48 ± 18.36 years. The most common organism isolated was Klebsiella pneumoniae (91.4%). The most common specimen was the tracheal (62.4%). Ventilator-acquired pneumonia was seen in 38.7%. The most common co-morbid disease seen in patients was diabetes (41%); 77% had a symptomatic infection and were treated with a combination of 2 or more antibiotics, most commonly meropenem plus fosfomycin. The most common susceptible antibiotics were fosfomycin (72%) and tigecycline (50.5%). Mean intensive care unit stay and total duration of hospital stay were prolonged (16.83 ± 12.93 and 23.34 ± 17.52 days, respectively). Forty-eight (62.3%) patients with symptomatic infection with colistin-resistant isolates were treated and discharged, and mortality was seen in 23 (29.9%). A significant association was found between mortality and symptomatic infection, endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation (p = 0.003), and a prolonged hospital stay of >20 days (p = 0.041).Conclusion:Colistin-resistant gram-negative rods pose a significant problem especially in developing countries because of limited therapeutic options. Stringent infection control and comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs are needed to overcome this challenge.

Evaluating antimicrobial prescribing practice in Australian remote primary healthcare clinics.

Inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing contributes to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Gaps exist in the understanding of antimicrobial prescribing in the remote setting. We aimed to assess adherence to guidelines and appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in Central Australia. A retrospective study assessing antimicrobial prescriptions in ten Aboriginal clinics (three in remote communities and seven in regional centre) using a validated evaluation tool. Antimicrobials prescribed between 1 January-31 December 2018 were randomly selected for inclusion into the study. The main outcome measures were the rates of guideline adherence and inappropriate prescribing. A total of 180 prescriptions were included (96.1% Aboriginal, 32.2% male). Ninety-nine (55.0%) prescriptions were written by general practitioners (GPs), 57 (31.7%) by nurses and 24 (13.3%) by others. Forty-three (25.7%) assessable prescriptions were deemed inappropriate and 75 (44.4%) did not adhere to guidelines. Prescriptions written by GPs were less likely to adhere to guidelines, particularly GPs located in remote communities. The most common reasons for inappropriate prescribing were incorrect dosage/frequency and antimicrobial not indicated. Skin and soft-tissue infection was the commonest indication, with 29 of 41 (70.7%) prescriptions deemed appropriate. Prescriptions for lower respiratory-tract infection had the lowest rate of appropriateness, with one of seven prescriptions deemed appropriate (14.3%). Antimicrobials with the lowest rate of appropriateness were ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefalexin, at 50%, 56%, and 62%, respectively. A quarter of antimicrobial prescriptions written in select remote central Australian Aboriginal primary healthcare clinics were deemed inappropriate. The implementation of a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program is recommended.

Nationwide multicenter questionnaire surveys on countermeasures against antimicrobial resistance and infections in hospitals

BackgroundThe goals of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) of Japan include “implementing appropriate infection prevention and control” and “appropriate use of antimicrobials,” which are relevant to healthcare facilities. Specifically, linking efforts between existing infection control teams and antimicrobial stewardship programs was suggested to be important. Previous studies reported that human resources, such as full-time equivalents of infection control practitioners, were related to improvements in antimicrobial stewardship.MethodsWe posted questionnaires to all teaching hospitals (n = 1017) regarding hospital countermeasures against AMR and infections. To evaluate changes over time, surveys were conducted twice (1st survey: Nov 2016, 2nd survey: Feb 2018). A latent transition analysis (LTA) was performed to identify latent statuses, which refer to underlying subgroups of hospitals, and effects of the number of members in infection control teams per bed on being in the better statuses.ResultsThe number of valid responses was 678 (response rate, 66.7%) for the 1st survey and 559 (55.0%) for the 2nd survey. More than 99% of participating hospitals had infection control teams, with differences in activity among hospitals. Roughly 70% had their own intervention criteria for antibiotics therapies, whereas only about 60 and 50% had criteria established for the use of anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus antibiotics and broad-spectrum antibiotics, respectively. Only 50 and 40% of hospitals conducted surveillance of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia, respectively. Less than 50% of hospitals used maximal barrier precautions for central line catheter insertion.The LTA identified five latent statuses. The membership probability of the most favorable status in the 2nd study period was slightly increased from the 1st study period (23.6 to 25.3%). However, the increase in the least favorable status was higher (26.3 to 31.8%). Results of the LTA did not support a relationship between increasing the number of infection control practitioners per bed, which is reportedly related to improvements in antimicrobial stewardship, and being in more favorable latent statuses.ConclusionsOur results suggest the need for more comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs and increased surveillance activities for healthcare-associated infections to improve antimicrobial stewardship and infection control in hospitals.

Effects of a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program in a surgical intensive care unit

ObjectivesWe evaluated the effects of a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU). MethodsThe ASP was implemented from March 2018 to February 2019 at an SICU in a teaching hospital. An infectious disease physician and a pharmacist visited the SICU 3 times per week for prospective audit and feedback. Outcomes were compared between the ASP period and the same months in the preceding year (pre-ASP period). The primary outcome measure was the use of anti-pseudomonal beta-lactams (APBL). Appropriate antimicrobial de-escalation and ICU mortality rates were also compared. ResultsA total of 182 and 149 patients were included in the study for the pre-ASP and ASP periods, respectively. Although disease severity was higher in the ASP group (septic shock 39.0% in pre-ASP vs 65.1% in ASP group, P<0.001), the use of APBL as a definitive treatment was lower during ASP (68.7% vs 57.7%, OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.40–0.98). Appropriate antimicrobial de-escalation improved (63.2% vs 94.6%, P<0.001). ICU mortality was comparable (7.7% vs 7.4%) and significantly lower during the ASP, after adjustment (adjusted OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18–0.92, P=0.032). ConclusionsA comprehensive ASP decreased the use of APBL and was associated with improved patient outcomes.

Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program in a veterinary medical teaching institution.

Widespread use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine drives the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria in human, animal, and environmental reservoirs. The AVMA and FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine have both taken public positions emphasizing the importance of incorporating antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary clinical settings; however, a model for implementing a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program in veterinary practice is not readily available. In 2015, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine began developing a veterinary antimicrobial stewardship program modeled on existing programs in human health-care institutions and the 7 core elements of a successful hospital antimicrobial stewardship program, as defined by the CDC. The program includes comprehensive antimicrobial use guidelines, active environmental surveillance, and enhanced infection control procedures in The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, along with routine monitoring and reporting of antimicrobial prescribing practices and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of common pathogens isolated from patients and the hospital environment. Finally, programs have been developed to educate clinicians, staff, and students on antimicrobial resistance and appropriate antimicrobial prescribing practices. The antimicrobial stewardship program has been designed to help clinicians and students confidently make judicious antimicrobial use decisions and provide them with actionable steps that can help them act as strong stewards while providing the best care for their patients. This report describes our program and the process involved in developing it, with the intent that the program could serve as a potential model for other veterinary medical institutions.

Feasibility of Developing Traditional Facility-Specific Nursing Home Antibiograms

Background: An antibiogram is a tool for tracking and reporting antimicrobial resistance; the CDC has endorsed as part of a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program in nursing homes. We have previously shown that antibiogram utilization has increased in nursing homes, but most facilities employ tools that are not based on facility-specific data. In this study, we investigate the feasibility to develop antibiograms using facility-specific data and compare these results with antibiograms developed using data from multiple facilities that share the same lab and geographic region. Methods: Raw, de-identified culture results from January 1 through December 31st, 2018 were collected from participating nursing homes and their consulting microbiology laboratories under an IRB-exempt protocol. Culture results were entered and stored in REDCap. Number of isolates per species was examined based on nursing home, nursing home laboratory network, and region. Percentage sensitivities of the most frequently isolated species to commonly used antibiotics were calculated at the nursing home and regional level and compared. T tests of the absolute difference between nursing home- and regional level percentage sensitivities were performed. All data analyses were performed in R software. Results: The mean annual cultures per nursing home was 23.5 (SE, ±3.29). Grouping cultures by lab and region increased the mean culture count 6-fold and 12-fold, respectively. The most commonly isolated species were Escherichia coli (29.7%), Enterococcus spp (11.6%), Proteus spp (10%), Klebsiella spp (8.5%). None of the nursing homes had &gt;30 isolates of a single species (Fig. 1). Escherichia coli was the only species that exceeded the 30-isolate threshold when aggregated at the laboratory network level (Fig. 2). Grouping nursing home cultures by region provided the greatest average isolate count across the most common species. The greatest differences in percentage sensitivity between nursing homes and their region were noted for Escherichia coli and Proteus spp to fluoroquinolones (&gt;20% difference; P &lt; .01). The difference in sensitivity was &lt;5% for Escherichia coli to nitrofurantoin. Conclusions: Nursing homes do not generate enough annual isolates to create antibiograms compliant with Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. Grouping isolates from multiple nursing homes at the regional level does reliably exceed the 30-isolate threshold for multiple bacterial species but leads to susceptibility estimates that may vary substantially from those observed at the facility level. Alternative tools for tracking antibiotic resistance and guiding antibiotic prescribing decisions at the local level are needed.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Impact of health policy on structural requisites for antimicrobial stewardship: A nationwide survey conducted in Japanese hospitals after enforcing the revised reimbursement system for antimicrobial stewardship programs

The Japanese government issued the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2016–2020 in 2016 [1]. The plan included the promotion of comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), including the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) and the development of professional human resources with expertise in infectious diseases.

Impact of a Comprehensive Antimicrobial Stewardship Program on Institutional Burden of Antimicrobial Resistance: A 14-Year Controlled Interrupted Time-series Study.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) constitutes an international public health threat widely believed to result from excessive antimicrobial use (AMU). Numerous authorities have recommended antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) to curb the selection of AMR, but there is a lack of data confirming this benefit. A controlled interrupted time-series study spanning 14 years was performed to assess impact of a comprehensive hospital-based ASP that included pharmacist-led audit and feedback on institutional AMR. Patient-level microbiologic and AMU data were obtained from October 2002 to September 2016. Poisson regression models were used to identify changes in the incidence and trend of hospital-acquired (HA) antibiotic-resistant organisms (AROs) and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Changes in community-acquired (CA)-ARO, CA-MDRO, and inpatient AMU were assessed as controls and process outcomes. Statistically significant shifts in AMU, HA-ARO, and HA-MDRO trends coinciding with ASP implementation were observed, corresponding with a 9% reduction in HA-ARO burden (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.91 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .83-.99]; P = .03) and a 13% reduction in HA-MDRO burden (IRR, 0.87 [95% CI, .73-1.04]; P = .13) in the intervention period. In contrast, CA-ARO and CA-MDRO incidence continued to rise, with 40% (IRR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.28-1.54]; P < .0001) and 68% (IRR, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.57-1.82]; P < .0001) increases in burden found, respectively. Implementation of a comprehensive ASP resulting in reduced AMU was associated with a significant reduction in institutional AMR, even though community AMR increased during the same period. These results confirm that ASPs play an important role in the fight against AMR.

2037. A Novel Strategy of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Shanghai: Preliminary Practice with Integration of Three Surveillance Networks

BackgroundThe bacterial resistance surveillance networks, antimicrobial clinical use surveillance networks and provincial hospital-acquired infection (HAI) surveillance have been well established in China. They aim to inform the current situation of bacterial resistance, antimicrobial use and HAI, and to guide the rational use of antimicrobials. However, these three networks presently are running separately. To increase the data value in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)practice, those three surveillance networks are integrated in ShanghaiMethodsThe Committee of Rational Use of Antimicrobials and AMS of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, consisting of health administrators, clinical physicians and microbiologists, clinical pharmacologists and infection control experts, was formed in 2017. The oversight committee developed a comprehensive AMS score index mainly based on the surveillance data of the three networks to evaluate the AMS requirements in the hospitals. The AMS score index consists of 3 surveillance network indexes: resistance weight index; antimicrobial weight index and HAI weight index; each of the indexes is further divided into two parts, namely the surveillance quality score and data-related score. For example, the data-related score in the resistance index is calculated for the prevalence of 6 most important MDR/XDR bacteria (CRKP, CRAB, CRPA, ESBL, MRSA, VRE). A multi-disciplinary AMS team was convened to provide expert on-site visit of the hospitals and offered AMS support in the form of practical guidance and advice.ResultsAMS score and detailed score such as the prevalence of CRKP were ranked among 50 hospitals within the networks. These scores will support the AMS team to find out the main drivers of resistance/antibiotic use and thereby support appropriate interventions during the on-site visit. For example, a hospital visited which had a high consumption of carbapenems (ranked third in Shanghai) and also had a high percentage of carbapenems used in the department of liver transplantation. The advice of the on-site visit team was to encourage a more diverse group of antibiotics so as to spare carbapenems.ConclusionInvolvement of the multi-disciplinary team and integration of surveillance networks are very helpful in AMS practice.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

1064. Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Large Academic Medical Center, Impact Over 12 Years

BackgroundThe University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) is a tertiary care facility, which has had a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) for 12 years.MethodsThe antimicrobial stewardship team is comprised of a full-time PharmD and ID staff physicians. Recommendations are placed in the electronic medical record as a progress note. Verbal recommendations may also be made.ResultsThere was a downward trend in Hospital-acquired (HA) C. difficile diarrhea from 2007 to 2014 from 1.2 to 0.5/1000 patient-days (pt day). Rates appear stable from 2014 to 2019 with adjustment for change to NHSN lab-based CDI surveillance (Figure 1). From 2009 to 2019 a decrease was seen in VRE hospital-acquired infections (HAI) from 0.53 to 0.21/1,000 patient-days and in MRSA HAIs from 0.2 to 0.14/1,000 patient-days. Newly acquired ESBL HAIs have remained relatively stable from 2009 to 2019 at 0.09 to 0.05/1,000 patient-days. CRE HAIs are low but stable rates at 0.02/1,000 patient-days (Figure 2). We track antimicrobial utilization for internal and national reporting (starting in July 2017). A SAAR for all Antibacterial agents (ICUs, wards, and oncology units) of 1.33 in 2018. Our top four agents average DOT; piperacillin/tazobactam (66.81), cefepime (34.40), oral levofloxacin (23.56) and intravenous meropenem (21.49). We demonstrate lower average DOT for our restricted antimicrobials (206.21) as compared with our nonrestricted antimicrobials (236.74) (Figure 3). Cost savings continued from year to year. After adjusting for inflation annually, our expected costs ($84.08) compared with actual costs ($40.12 ytd 2019), demonstrates effective cost management of antimicrobial agents. (Figure 4)ConclusionWe observed a decrease in HAIs VRE and C. difficile infections after 3 years of operation, and MRSA after 5 years. This downward trend has continued. ESBL HAIs remain relatively stable and CRE are stable at low rates but remain emerging HAIs of concern. We are now focusing efforts on limiting unneeded fluoroquinolone and carbapenem use. We continue to analyze our SAAR data and internal DOT data to identify areas of opportunity to improve antimicrobial use. The ASP outcomes have continued to cost justify ongoing efforts. The effects of the program and the Infection Prevention Department appear to be synergistic. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

1059. Impact of a Syndrome-Based Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention on Anti-Pseudomonal β-Lactam Use, C. difficile Rates and Cost in an Urban Community Hospital

BackgroundThe use of anti-Pseudomonal β-lactam (APBL) agents has significantly increased in the past decade, carrying higher costs and contributing to antimicrobial pressure. Antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) can promote evidence-based antimicrobial selection and mitigate excess APBL use. We implemented a comprehensive ASP with syndrome-based prospective audit and feedback (PAF) at an urban community hospital. The goal of this study is to assess the impact of syndrome-based PAF on APBL use, C. difficile rates and cost.MethodsASP with all CDC core elements was implemented at a 151-bed community hospital in October 2017. Syndrome-based guidelines and PAF was established and overseen via direct communication with an ID physician. Days of therapy (DOT), cost and C. difficile rates were assessed 12 months before and after ASP. DOT for APBL and non-APBL utilization was tabulated by unit and paired t-test performed.ResultsMost cases reviewed by PAF (51%) were represented in our syndrome-based treatment guidelines (Figure 1). Soft tissue (33%) and intra-abdominal (24%) infections were the most common syndromes. Change to guideline was the most common PAF intervention (62%) followed by de-escalation (30%). At 12 months, total DOT/1,000 increased (392.5 vs. 404) while the proportion of parenteral antimicrobials used decreased (71% vs. 65%). Antibiotic expenditures decreased by 23%, with a reduction in APBL of 20% and non-APBL of 10% (Table 1). Statistically significant reductions APBL use in non-ICU settings (P = 0.0139) and statistically significant increases in non-APBL in ICU settings occurred (P = 0.0001) (Figure 2 and 3). C difficile rates decreased from 21% (3.27 vs. 2.56).ConclusionSyndrome-based PAF was successfully implemented. A reduction in APBL use was seen in non-ICU settings, where evidence-based de-escalation may be more feasible. APBL use remained high in the ICU but was guideline consistent. A rise in non-APBL use also occurred. Certain critical illness syndromes warrant APBLs, but PAF may promote culture-directed and syndrome-specific treatments. ASP increased guideline-based therapy and contributed to decreased broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, antimicrobial expenditures and C difficile rates. Syndrome based PAF can be successfully implemented in community settings. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

201. Outcomes of an Antibiotic Stewardship Team at an Academic Medical Center: 11 Years of Experience

BackgroundThe University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) is a tertiary care facility, which has had a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) for 11 years.MethodsThe antimicrobial stewardship team is comprised of a full-time PharmD and ID staff physicians who rotate on the service. Recommendations are placed in the electronic medical record as a progress note. Verbal recommendations may also be made.ResultsThere was a downward trend in Hospital Acquired (HA) C. difficile diarrhea from 2007 to 2014 from 1.2 to 0.5/1,000 patient-days. Rates appear stable from 2014 to 2017 with adjustment for change to NHSN laboratory-based surveillance (Figure 1). From 2009 to 2017 a decrease was seen in VRE hospital-acquired infections (HAI) from 0.53 to 0.24/1,000 patient-days and in MRSA HAIs from 0.2 to 0.04/1,000 patient-days. Newly acquired ESBL HAIs have remained relatively stable from 2009 to 2017 at 0.09 to 0.10/1,000 patient-days. CRE HAIs are an emerging problem with increasing rates (Figure 2). Cost savings continued from year to year. The greatest cost savings was observed after initial implementation (2006–2008) in which antimicrobial doses/patient day declined by 7%, antibiotics costs declined by $7.40/patient day. In 2012, we observed our lowest antibiotic cost/pt day at $37.51. Through August 2017, we have observed a sustained average antibiotic cost per patient day of $39.45 (Figure 3). After adjusting for inflation annually, our expected costs ($70.26) compared with actual costs ($40.39 ytd 2017) demonstrate effective cost management of antimicrobial agents, with saving of ~$30.00/patient day (Figure 3).ConclusionWe observed a decrease in HAIs VRE and C. difficile infections after 3 years of operation, and MRSA after 5 years. ESBL HAIs remain relatively stable and CRE are emerging HAIs of concern. Therefore, we are now focusing efforts of limiting unneeded carbapenem use. Our antibiotic costs/patient day have leveled off in the last 3 years and remained low despite rising antibiotic costs due to market inflation and drug shortages. The ASP outcomes have continued to cost justify ongoing efforts. The effects of the program and the Infection Prevention Department appear to be synergistic.Figure 1:Figure 2:Figure 3:Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

ASID/ACIPC position statement - Infection control for patients with Clostridium difficile infection in healthcare facilities.

In 2011, the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) and the Australian Infection Control Association (AICA), now known as the Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC), produced a position statement on infection control requirements for preventing and controlling Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in healthcare settings. The statement updated in 2017 to reflect new literature available .The authors reviewed the 2011 position statement and critically appraised new literature published between 2011 and 2017 and relevant current infection control guidelines to identify where new evidence had become available or best practice had changed. The position statement was updated incorporating the new findings. A draft version of the updated position statement was circulated for consultation to members of ASID and ACIPC. The authors responded to all comments received and updated the position statement. This updated position statement emphasizes the importance of health service organizations having evidence-based infection prevention and control programs and comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship programs, to ensure the risk of C. difficile acquisition, transmission and infection is minimised.