Category: Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship)

Germs Lead the Way: Exploring Microbial Ecology to Elevate the Fight Against Antimicrobial-resistant Healthcare-associated Infections

healthy biome

Three to four billion years ago, microbes (germs) were the first life on earth. They have thrived for millions of years longer than humans have existed. Much like humans, microbes have complex social and physical communities and are always evolving. These microbial communities are home to helpful germs and pathogens (harmful germs). Better understanding the Read More >

Posted on by Melia Haile, Christopher Elkins, Cliff McDonald, Alison Laufer Halpin, Mihnea Mangalea, and Lacey Avery6 Comments
Categories Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship), Healthcare-associated infections, Infection Control and Prevention
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CDC Investing in the Next Generation of Prevention and Response in States

Dr. Denise Cardo

Denise Cardo, MD Director, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The past two years have been an extraordinary time for the U.S. healthcare system and public health. Many healthcare facilities and healthcare workers were pushed to the brink—facing incredible hurdles Read More >

Posted on by CDC's Safe Healthcare Blog7 Comments
Categories Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship), Healthcare-associated infections, Infection Control and Prevention
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Finding My Voice as a C. diff Patient

Christina Fuhrman with her daughter.

At the age of 31, I knew nothing of patient advocacy; having a voice for my own healthcare simply hadn’t crossed my mind. I’ve since learned that it is essential to include patient voices in the healthcare system. When I was prescribed a preventive antibiotic for a root canal I, like most Americans, thought nothing Read More >

Posted on by Christina Fuhrman6 Comments
Categories Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship), Healthcare-associated infections
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New Study Sets Baseline to Measure Quality of Antibiotic Prescribing in U.S. Hospitals

In Hospitals in 2015 More Than Half of antibiotic prescribing for selected events was not consistent with recommended prescribing practices. Since then, CDC and Hospitals have: Established a method and a baseline for measuring the quality of hospital antibiotic prescribing and set national targets for improvement. Expanded antibiotic stewardship programs, with 89% of U.S. hospitals meeting all 7 Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in 2019. Received antibiotic use data from more than 2,000 hospitals through CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (up from 120 hospitals in 2015). Read More About: CDC collaborations with parterns to improve antibiotic use across all healthcare settings; http://bit.ly/AbxStewAction. HHS & CDC Logos.

Experts set national targets to improve prescribing—essential to protecting patients and slowing the rise of antibiotic resistance On March 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new study in JAMA Network Open showing that in 2015, more than half of antibiotics prescribed in U.S hospitals did not follow recommended prescribing practices. Read More >

Posted on by David Hyun and Melinda Neuhauser3 Comments
Categories Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship)
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Survey of US. Doctors Reveals Challenges, Strategies for Reducing Inappropriate Antibiotic Use

Zetts and Hyun

To combat antibiotic resistance threats it’s essential to improve how antibiotics are prescribed Guest Author: By David Hyun and Rachel Zetts David Hyun, M.D., is a senior officer and Rachel Zetts, M.P.H., is an officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ antibiotic resistance project. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has provided a stark reminder of the numerous Read More >

Posted on by CDC's Safe Healthcare Blog1 Comment
Categories Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship), Outpatient Care