NEW YORK (March 8, 2017) - Reducing antibiotic use in intensive care units by even small amounts can significantly decrease transmission of dangerous multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), according to new research published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Researchers developed models to demonstrate the impact of reducing antibiotics by 10% and by 25%, and found corresponding reductions in spread of the deadly bacteria of 11.2 percent and 28.3 percent, respectively.
"Antibiotic exposure is the most significant driver of resistance. In the hospital setting, nearly 50 percent of all patients receive an antibiotic, including up to 75 percent of all critically ill patients," said Sean Barnes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Operations Management in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, and lead author of the study. "But what is really troubling is that nearly half of all antibiotics prescribed may be inappropriate. Even moderate reductions in antibiotic use can reduce transmission of MDROs."
Many hospitals and health systems in the U.S. are making efforts to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use through antimicrobial stewardship programs and various interventions to help ensure that patients get the right antibiotics at the right time for the right duration. Research has demonstrated the benefits of these measures on patient care and costs, but the impact on the rate of MDROs has been difficult to assess. To do so, researchers used a mathematical model, known as agent-based modeling to simulate the interactions between patients and healthcare workers. In the model, some patients were designated as colonized with an MDRO and a portion of patients received antibiotics (75 percent). The model assumed that transmission among patients occurred primarily via contaminated hands of healthcare workers.
The team modeled the effect of antibiotic usage in two ways: a microbiome effect, which reduces bacteria in the system with the use of antibiotics and increases MDRO transmission probability; and a mutation effect, which designates a proportion of patients who develop a MDRO as a result of genetic mutations in the bacteria. MDRO are common bacteria, including frequently occurring Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).
"Antibiotics have been one of the most useful and critical drugs in modern medicine, but our overuse of these drugs has hurt us by supporting the development of MDROs", said Kerri Thom, M.D., M.S., associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a co-author of the study. "Our model suggests that substantial reductions in infection rates are possible if stewardship programs aggressively pursue opportunities to reduce unnecessary usage of antibiotics."
###
Sean Barnes, Clare Rock, Anthony Harris, Sara Cosgrove, Daniel Morgan, Kerri Thom. "The Impact of Reducing Antibiotics on the Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms." Web (March 8, 2017).
About ICHE
Published through a partnership between the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Cambridge University Press, Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology provides original, peer reviewed scientific articles for anyone involved with an infection control or epidemiology program in a hospital or healthcare facility. ICHE is ranked 19th out of 83 Infectious Disease Journals in the latest Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Reports from Thomson Reuters.
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) is a professional society representing more than 3,000 physicians and other healthcare professionals around the world who possess expertise and passion for healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship. The society's work improves public health by establishing infection-prevention measures and supporting antibiotic stewardship among healthcare providers, hospitals, and health systems. This is accomplished by leading research studies, translating research into clinical practice, developing evidence-based policies, optimizing antibiotic stewardship, and advancing the field of healthcare epidemiology. SHEA and its members strive to improve patient outcomes and create a safer, healthier future for all. Visit SHEA online at http://www.shea-online.org, http://www.facebook.com/SHEApreventingHAIs and @SHEA_Epi.
About Cambridge Journals
Cambridge University Press publishes over 350 peer-reviewed academic journals across a wide spread of subject areas, in print and online. Many of these journals are leading academic publications in their fields and together form one of the most valuable and comprehensive bodies of research available today.
For further information about Cambridge Journals, visit journals.cambridge.org
About Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University's mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.
Its extensive peer-reviewed publishing lists comprise 45,000 titles covering academic research, professional development, over 350 research journals, school-level education, English language teaching and bible publishing.
Playing a leading role in today's international market place, Cambridge University Press has more than 50 offices around the globe, and it distributes its products to nearly every country in the world.
For further information about Cambridge University Press, visit cambridge.org.
Journal
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology