Published: Nov. 11, 2015
National Get Smart About Antibiotics Week is Nov. 16-22. Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual campaign raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use.
Sparrow is among the growing number of acute care hospitals nationwide to implement the CDC Antibiotic Stewardship Program. Increasing evidence demonstrates that hospital-based Antibiotic Stewardship programs can both optimize the treatment of infections and reduce adverse events associated with antibiotic use. Antibiotic stewardship helps improve Patient care and shortens hospital stays.
According to the CDC, more than two million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant organisms each year, resulting in approximately 23,000 deaths annually. In 2014 the CDC recommended that all acute care hospitals implement Antibiotic Stewardship Programs to improve antibiotic use.
Please be aware that Antibiotic Stewardship Initiatives will gear up over the next few months across the entire Sparrow Health System. Participation in Antibiotic Stewardship is part of Sparrow’s mission to improve the quality of Patient care and to improve Patient safety through increased infection cure rates, reduced treatment failures, and increased frequency of correct prescribing. It is another way that Sparrow is taking the lead in fundamentally transforming health care in the mid-Michigan region.