When discharging patients or residents from a healthcare facility , careful attention must be paid to the proper transfer of information related to antibiotics , particular the following :
●Information communicated across transitions of care may include :
● Diagnosis and treatment plan
● Antibiotic therapy
• List inpatient antibiotic ( s ) and total number of days received in the hospital .
• Specify if antibiotic therapy was completed in the hospital or if continued therapy post-discharge is needed .
• For a post-discharge prescription , list the planned antibiotic , dose , and end date .
● Results of relevant diagnostic tests ( including pending tests )
● Instructions for follow-up medical care , including contact information for additional questions
In some cases , the patient may be discharged back to their traditional home environment , and therefore the patient and their caregiver team must be educated about how to continue the proper care protocols including the indication and planned antibiotic course ; instructions for follow-up medical care ; signs and symptoms of worsening infection , and sepsis ; and signs and symptoms of antibiotic-associated adverse events , including Clostridioides difficile infection . One of the best partners for patients being cared for in the home environment is a community-based pharmacist as they can easily review the patient ’ s entire medical history and work to prevent adverse drug events .
Antibiotics stewardship is a true team sport that involves the patient , the prescriber , nursing , pharmacy colleagues , and relies upon a collaborative care model to ensure that as healthcare providers we are appropriately protecting this critical class of medications . A vertical and horizontal approach to antibiotic stewardship across the entire continuum of care is needed if healthcare as an industry wants to move the needle substantially in the reduction of Multidrug resistant organisms . Together , we can save lives , reduce unnecessary antibiotic use , and reduce preventable healthcare costs .
J . Hudson Garrett is president and CEO of Community Health Associates , LLC . He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine , is a fellow with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement , and has earned designation as a fellow with both the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America . He is a frequent lecturer globally on patient safety , infectious diseases , and medical device reprocessing and safety . He may be reached at :
Hudson . garrett @ chaassociates . com
Antibiotics stewardship is a true team sport that involves the patient , the prescriber , nursing , pharmacy colleagues , and relies upon a collaborative care model to ensure that as healthcare providers we are appropriately protecting this critical class of medications .”
THE IPEX
The Infection Prevention Exchange
By MD-Medical Data Quality & Safety Advisors , LLC
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HAIs
HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS
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50-75 % Reductions in infections
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