The significance of using antimicrobials effectively for optimized treatment outcomes and mitigation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to gain prominence within the healthcare sector. It is particularly pressing in areas like ophthalmology where infections can have severe ramifications and surgery can profoundly affect a patient’s quality of life. A study conducted by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) at the Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, has adopted a holistic approach towards managing the use of antimicrobials in ophthalmology.
The team implemented a set of comprehensive management measures and a continuous improvement model. This included training and empowering staff, promoting information-assisted medical prescription control, and implementing transparent supervision. The successful outcome of this intervention study was marked by a decrease in antibiotic use, antibiotic utilization rate, and antibiotic prophylactic utilization rate among inpatients. Furthermore, the rates of nosocomial infection and surgical site infection for type I incision operations decreased to zero.
On the other hand, the microbiological submission rate associated with antibiotic utilization and the etiological submission rate before antibiotic therapy significantly increased. This reflected an improvement in the tracking of antibiotic usage and a boost in precautions taken before initiating antibiotic treatments. Pathogen detection carried out throughout the study period revealed that most of the pathogens were Gram-positive bacteria, primarily found in ocular secretion. Analysis of antibiotic resistance showed Staphylococcus bacteria and Streptococcus pneumoniae retained full susceptibility to several antibiotics.
This multidisciplinary approach, supported with information-assisted transparent supervision, proved highly effective in initiating a standardized application of antimicrobials in ophthalmology. The implemented practices significantly improved the parameters related to antimicrobial application and hospital-acquired infection control. As such, this approach may potentially serve as a guide towards improving healthcare quality and combating escalating antimicrobial resistance.