Why is AMS important?
Residents of aged care facilities experience higher rates of infection than other people. They have higher rates of antimicrobial use than the general population and may have multiple risk factors that lead to developing antimicrobial resistance.
The role of AMS
Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes have been shown to decrease inappropriate antimicrobial usage, which improves residents' outcomes and reduces adverse consequences of antimicrobial use, including antimicrobial resistance, toxicity and unnecessary costs.
Antimicrobial stewardship is vital in preventing antibiotic resistance and decreasing preventable infections.
AMS programs reduce inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing, improve resident outcomes, and reduce the consequences of antimicrobial resistance.
A combination of AMS, infection prevention control programs, hand hygiene and surveillance is vital in reducing antimicrobial resistance and decreasing preventable infections.
Background
Antibiotics have been a revelation in the past century and have reduced the mortality and morbidity of serious infections.
Overuse of antibiotics is one of the causative factors for developing resistant organisms.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microbes such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi resist the effects of the medicines used to treat them. Microbe resistance can lead to 'treatment failure' or the inability to treat the cause of the infection.