Drug resistant infections are on the rise: Experts emphasize education, awareness

Each year during the week of Nov. 18-24, infectious disease experts tout the importance of appropriate antibiotic use.

But the messaging isn’t limited to just one week during one month of each year.

“Using the right drugs, at the right dose, at the right time and for the right duration is absolutely key messaging for every single day,” said Ritu Banerjee, MD, PhD, professor of Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. “And the message is for everyone, not just medical teams.

“It’s going to take educating on all levels — patients, families, medical students, clinicians — antimicrobial stewardship is a part of patient safety and quality,” said Banerjee, who is also the medical director of Antibiotic Stewardship for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “For many of us who have been working in this space for decades, we are seeing a rise in antibiotic resistance rates. We are taking care of patients with increasing drug-resistant infections with limited treatment options.”

Teams at VUMC and Monroe Carell are focused on reaching more clinicians, patients and families through the Vanderbilt Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (VASP). The program, a mainstay in both the adult and pediatric hospitals, is now fully integrated in the Regional Hospitals as well as every ambulatory clinic throughout the enterprise.

“Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is contributing to the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance,” she said. “We need to be more responsible about how we use antibiotics.”

Some key points to help in the effort to become antibiotics aware:

Antibiotics can save lives, but they aren’t always the answer.
Antibiotics can cause side effects and contribute to the development of drug resistance.
Antibiotics are only needed to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, not infections caused by viruses.

During Antibiotic Awareness Week, VASP is planning educational activities for trainees and faculty to raise awareness about the importance of using antimicrobials wisely. Posters will be shared throughout clinical spaces reminding patients and visitors that antibiotics do not treat viral infections and can cause harmful side effects.

VASP has partnered with multiple clinical services to reduce inappropriate use throughout the health system. Team members include:

Physicians

Milner Staub, MD, assistant professor, Medicine

Sharon Onguti, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Medicine

Lauren Herrera, MD, assistant professor, Medicine

Augusto Dulanto Chiang, MD, assistant professor, Medicine

Kaitlyn Reasoner, MD, assistant professor, Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery

Sophie Katz, MS, MPH, assistant professor, Pediatrics

Pharmacists

Ben Ereshefsky, PharmD, BCIDP, Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist

Austin Ing, PharmD, BCIDP, Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist

Laura Bobbitt, PharmD, BCIDP, Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist