Championing Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention and Control
This week the clinics and hospitals at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine are recognizing US Antibiotic Awareness Week and World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week.
US Antibiotic Awareness Week, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, from the World Health Organization, aim to shine a light on the importance of vigilance with antimicrobial use and infection prevention.
Drs. Claire Fellman and Ian DeStefano have led the charge in antimicrobial stewardship and improving infection prevention and control through ICAST, Cummings School’s Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship Team. This week, information and reminders have been shared with our community in the continued effort to keep our patients and staff safe and healthy.
According to Dr. Fellman, “The impact of antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control are seen in reduced numbers of antimicrobial prescriptions. Over time, we hope this will lead to lower levels of resistant infections in our community and improved One Health.”
“Antimicrobial resistance is a silent threat,” says Dr. DeStefano, “We see the impact in our patients. Only sustained vigilance with hand hygiene and protective barrier nursing will help address antimicrobial resistance threats. If we work together, we can make a huge impact on our patients, their safety, and the need for life-saving antimicrobial drugs.”
Companion animal antimicrobial stewardship efforts led by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, the Ohio State University, and the University of Minnesota were highlighted in JAVMA this month. Collaboration by investigators at the three schools led to acceptance of two articles, a white paper on antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary schools, Change starts at home: summary of the 2023 inaugural Small Animal Antimicrobial Stewardship Workshop for US Veterinary Schools, and an associated research study, A survey of US and Caribbean veterinary schools reveals strengths and opportunities in antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control activities. Lisa Fortier, D.V.M., DACVS, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief, JAVMA and AJVR, wrote an editorial mentioning Cummings School and Drs. Fellman and DeStefano’s work at Cummings School, Raising awareness: the AVMA and antimicrobial stewardship. Similarly, assistant director of the AVMA's Division of Animal and Public Health, Michael Costin, D.V.M., penned AVMA efforts to promote antimicrobial stewardship in the veterinary profession and included findings from the white paper and research study.
“Cummings School is committed to antimicrobial stewardship. It's important to recognize, however, that as with infection control, antimicrobial stewardship is an area where our work is never "done" and we must continue striving to optimize our practices,” reminds Dr. Fellman.