Antimicrobial stewardship

Empiric therapy

Antibiotics

Biology

Microbiology

Politics

Political science

Intensive care medicine

Stewardship (theology)

Antibiogram

Antibiotic therapy

Antibiotic Stewardship

Antimicrobial

Medicine

Antibiotic resistance

Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease

The rapid evolution of resistance, particularly among Gram-negative bacteria, requires appropriate identification of patients at risk followed by administration of appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy. A primary tenet of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) is the establishment of empiric antibiotic recommendations for commonly encountered infections. An important tool in providing empiric antibiotic therapy recommendations is the use of an antibiogram. While the majority of institutions use a traditional antibiogram, ASPs have an opportunity to enhance antibiogram data. The authors provide the rationale for why ASPs should implement alternative antibiograms, and the importance of incorporating an antibiogram into clinical decision support systems with the goal of providing effective empiric antibiotic therapy.

Antimicrobial stewardship and antibiograms: importance of moving beyond traditional antibiograms