A bibliographic delineation from the ‘Infection and Drug Resistance’ journal scientifically appraises the effectiveness of Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) and Infection Prevention and Control Programs (IPCP) in administering antibiotics and containing resistance from Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) across multiple medical facilities.
Authored by an array of scholars including Lei Liu, Bin Liu, Liang Li, Yu Li, Xiangdong Zhou, and Qi Li, the investigation scrutinizes the impact of these policies on antibiotic consumption and AB resistance. The study utilized parameters such as the defined daily doses (DDD) for antibiotics, alcohol-based hand gel (ABHG) consumption and the incident cases concerning Carbapenem-resistant AB (CR-AB), Multidrug-resistant AB (MDR-AB), and Extensively drug-resistant AB (XDR-AB) for evaluation across two medical centers from 2016–2023.
Emphasizing demographic and situational factors, the study found that the major categories of AB clinical strains were extracted primarily from patients’ respiratory tract specimens, the ICU wards, and patients over 65 years old. The discernible decrease in antibiotics administered and the significant increase in ABHG consumption is a testament to the efficacy and potency of AMS and IPCP measures. The study also revealed statistically significant correlations between the DDD of antibiotics consumption and the incidence of CR-AB, MDR-AB, and XDR-AB, and, between ABHG consumption and the aforementioned AB categories.
The research thereby conclusively underscores that these comprehensive interventions can distinctly achieve sustained improvements in the resistance and transmission of AB, providing value to other hospitals. The findings also spotlight the acute necessity for rational antibiotic usage due to the growing antibiotic-resistant bacteria strain, particularly A.baumannii.
The article further emphasizes the criticality of AMS and IPCPs in reducing the transmission of resistant A.baumannii in hospitals, as supported by several studies across the world and China. Given the potential limitations of single-centre studies, the authors advocate for more multicentre studies for comprehensive cognizance.