Gwangju Christian Hospital recently established the "Antibiotic Stewardship Management Team" to reduce antibiotic misuse and promote appropriate use. Photo by Gwangju Christian Hospital
On June 18, Gwangju Christian Hospital announced that it has established the "Antibiotic Stewardship Management Team" to reduce the misuse of antibiotics and promote their appropriate use.
The Antibiotic Stewardship Management Team will carry out a variety of activities, including: regular monitoring and intervention in antibiotic prescriptions for inpatients; summarizing the results of intervention activities; minimizing the misuse and overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics and intervening to ensure appropriate prescriptions (such as prescription restrictions and approvals); monitoring and managing antibiotic usage through participation in KONAS; monitoring the occurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI); developing clinical practice guidelines and providing education on antibiotic prescription guidelines for medical staff; providing antibiotic stewardship education for hospital executives and staff; and computerizing the management program.
The management team aims to reduce unnecessary use of restricted antibiotics through strict oversight, thereby decreasing the emergence of resistant bacteria, and will continuously monitor the occurrence of antibiotic-associated colitis, which is an important indicator for the prevention and management of infectious diseases. In addition, regular education for medical staff and all employees is expected to make a significant contribution to establishing a culture of proper antibiotic use.
Cho Sugyeong, head of the Antibiotic Stewardship Management Team (Department of Infectious Diseases), stated, "Reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics and ensuring that the appropriate drug is used at the correct dose and duration when necessary is key to patient safety and addressing the issue of antibiotic resistance." She added, "As an infectious disease specialist, I will leverage my experience to lead multidisciplinary collaboration and establish a systematic management system to help improve the culture of antibiotic use in the local community."
Hospital Director Lee Seungwook said, "I am pleased that the hospital has been selected as the lead institution for the pilot project on antibiotic stewardship and has established the Antibiotic Stewardship Management Team, following our achievement of the highest grade in the evaluation of prophylactic antibiotic appropriateness." He continued, "We will do our utmost to administer antibiotics in accordance with global guidelines, thereby improving the quality of patient care and providing safer and more effective medical services."
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