1. A Crucial Role for Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Midst of COVID-19
- Author
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Sheel Vaniawala, Manda Mainville, Aarti Raja, Thomas A. Ollerhead, Bindu S. Mayi, Michelle Lanspa, and Rida Altaf
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,QH301-705.5 ,Secondary infection ,Disease ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Education ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Antibiotic resistance ,Health care ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Infection control ,Antimicrobial stewardship ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Biology (General) ,Intensive care medicine ,0303 health sciences ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,LC8-6691 ,030306 microbiology ,business.industry ,Special aspects of education ,Stewardship ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,business ,Perspectives - Abstract
As the world deals with a pandemic, there remains another global challenge that cannot be ignored. Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may be justified as we are trying to treat a novel disease condition, which in turn could lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance. We can decrease morbidity, mortality, and health care costs by controlling antimicrobial resistance, but it requires antimicrobial stewardship. Major components of effective and timely antimicrobial stewardship are diagnostic stewardship, infection prevention and control, and integration of COVID-19 specific flags into electronic health records, all of which may be integrated into current strategies of COVID-19 mitigation and management. Going through the influenza season of 2020, implementation of antimicrobial stewardship education efforts in the United States can help us contend with influenza in addition to COVID-19 and any bacterial co-infections or secondary infections. Additional solutions include the development of vaccines, alternative therapies such as antibodies, and advanced diagnostics using advances in genomics and computer science.
- Published
- 2021