Antibiotic Awareness 2019 Ananda Aged Care AAW 2019

Antibiotic Awareness 2019 Ananda Aged Care #AAW 2019 Michael Page

Overview • Antibiotics are vital life-saving medicines • Antimicrobial resistance is both a global and local problem • The link between antibiotic use and resistance • Addressing antimicrobial resistance in Australia • Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) • Antibiotic Awareness Week

Antimicrobials • Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial Ref: 1

Broad vs Narrow Spectrum • Narrow spectrum antibiotics work against a limited group of bacteria • Broad spectrum antibiotics work against a larger group of bacteria • Overuse of unnecessarily broad spectrum antibiotics can drive antimicrobial resistance

What is antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, parasites, viruses or fungi change to protect themselves from the effects of antimicrobial drugs designed to destroy them. • This means previously effective antimicrobial drugs (e. g. antibiotics) used to treat or prevent infections may no longer work. • The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified AMR as ‘one of the biggest threats to global health’. • Australia has in place a national AMR strategy.

How has antimicrobial resistance developed? • Antimicrobial resistance is a natural phenomenon • Overuse, misuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics may accelerate this • The delivery of more complex health care which may require longer use of antibiotics • Prolonged hospitalisation • The potential impact of surgical procedures undertaken overseas • Resistant pathogens can now spread easily − during hospitalisation if infection prevention is poor − potential for cross-border transmission through increased travel.

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Patient impact of antimicrobial resistant infections Treatment failures Recurring infections Longer hospital stays Longer recovery times A higher risk of mortality or long term implications • Significant financial cost of treatment • • • Preventing infections is everybody's business Ref: 15

Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Antimicrobial Stewardship isn’t about “not using antimicrobials” but rather “identify that small group of patients who really need antibiotic treatment and then explain, reassure and educate the large group of patients who don’t” • Stewardship means to protect something • AMS is a systematic approach to optimising the use of antimicrobials • Goals of AMS are to: ‒ improve patient outcomes / patient safety ‒ reduce antimicrobial resistance ‒ reduce costs. • AMS works hand-in-hand with infection prevention and control strategies Ref: 20

Key messages Antimicrobial resistance: � occurs when an organism evolves and develops resistance to an antimicrobial that should inhibit or destroy it � is reducing the effectiveness of antimicrobials to treat infections � is happening now • Few new antimicrobials are being developed • The misuse, overuse, and inappropriate use of antimicrobials contributes to antimicrobial resistance • Antimicrobial stewardship works hand in hand with prevention and control strategies to help address antimicrobial resistance.