Antimicrobial stewardship programs: mandatory for all ICUs
1 Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8052, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
2 Pharmacy Department, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 1 Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
Critical Care 2012, 16:179 doi:10.1186/cc11853
See related research by Katsios et al., http://ccforum.com/content/16/6/R216
Published: 22 November 2012Abstract
Antimicrobial stewardship involves a multifaceted approach aimed at combating the emergence of antibiotic resistance, improving patient outcomes, and controlling healthcare costs by optimizing antimicrobial use. Therefore, stewardship is of great importance and relevance in the ICU. The rapid pace of escalating antibiotic resistance and the widespread use of antibiotics in critical care require that stewardship programs be routinely employed in the ICU setting.
