Antimicrobial stewardship improves outcomes for MRSA

(HealthDay)—For patients receiving antimicrobial injections targeting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program that includes daily review of prescriptions is associated with improved clinical outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

Takashi Niwa, Ph.D., from Gifu University Hospital in Japan, and colleagues conducted a single-center retrospective study to examine the effects of an antimicrobial stewardship program targeting MRSA in patients receiving pathogen-specific antibiotics. A team was assembled to implement antimicrobial stewardship; daily reviews of prescriptions were conducted within 24 hours after initiation of therapy.

The researchers found that implementation of daily review correlated with a significant reduction in the time to administer effective antimicrobials (median number of days, three versus zero; P < 0.001) and with a significant elevation in the rate of de-escalation (47.1 versus 96.2 percent; P < 0.001). After the intervention, there was a significant reduction in 60-day clinical failure associated with gram-positive bacterial infection (33.3 versus 17.6 percent; P = 0.007).

"Daily review of administration of antimicrobials targeting MRSA was highly effective in improving clinical outcomes by optimizing early antimicrobial therapy," the authors write.