33% of nursing homes have comprehensive antibiotic stewardship programs

Many nursing homes have inadequate antibiotic stewardship programs and lack properly trained infection preventionists, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

For the study, researchers at the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City surveyed a nationally representative sample of 861 nursing homes on infection control and antibacterial stewardship practices in 2018.

Four findings:

1. About 33 percent of nursing homes had comprehensive antibiotic stewardship programs. Forty-one percent had "moderately comprehensive" programs, and 26 percent did not have comprehensive programs.

2. A majority of nursing homes (91 percent) reported collecting data on antibiotic use.

3. Only 19 percent reported restricting the use of certain antibiotics.

4. Forty-six percent of nursing homes said their infection preventionists were not specifically trained in infection control.

For more study findings, click here.

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