Researchers conducted an observational study of acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Of 127 eligible hospitals, 73 completed a survey that included questions about structural and strategic components of their of antimicrobial stewardship programs. The researchers gathered antibiotic use information from hospital purchasing data between Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2014.
The study shows there was a seven-fold range in antibiotic use across these facilities — from 253 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days to 1,872 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days.
The following program components lowered antibiotic use:
• The presence of designated funding or resources for the antimicrobial stewardship program
• Prospective audit and feedback
• Intravenous-to-oral conversion policies
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