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BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major global public health challenge due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics for humans and animals. Hospitals are among the major users of antibiotics, thereby having a large contribution to AMR. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria and the level of antibiotic residues in the hospital effluents in Selangor, Malaysia. METHODS A cross-sectional study will be performed in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Tertiary hospitals will be identified based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methods are divided into three phases: sample collection, microbiological analysis, and chemical analysis. Microbiological analyses will include the isolation of bacteria from hospital effluents by culturing on selective media. Antibiotic sensitivity testing will be performed on the isolated bacteria against ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, meropenem, vancomycin, colistin, and piperacillin/tazobactam. The identification of bacteria will be confirmed using 16S RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR will be performed to detect resistance genes (ermB, mecA, blaNDM-L, blaCTX-M, blaOXA-48, blaSHV, VanA, VanB, VanC1, mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3, Intl1, Intl2, and qnrA). Finally, the level of antibiotic residues will be measured using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS The expected outcomes will be the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter (ESKAPE) bacterial species from the hospital effluents, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from the isolated ESKAPE bacteria, and the level of antibiotic residues that may be detected from the effluent. Sampling has been conducted in three hospitals. Data analysis from one hospital showed that as of July 2022, 80% (8/10) of E. faecium isolates were resistant to vancomycin and 10% (1/10) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Further analysis will be conducted to determine if the isolates harbor any ARGs and effluent samples are being analyzed to detect antibiotic residues. Sampling activities will be resumed after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are scheduled to end by December 2022. CONCLUSIONS This study will provide the first baseline information to elucidate the current status of AMR of highly pathogenic bacteria present in hospital effluents in Malaysia. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/39022

Objectives To determine antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programme practices in Asian secondary- and tertiary-care hospitals. Methods AMS programme team members within 349 hospitals from 10 countries (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) completed a questionnaire via a web-based survey link. The survey contained questions as to whether 12 core components deemed essential for AMS programmes were implemented. Results Overall, 47 (13.5%) hospitals fulfilled all core AMS programme components. There was a mean positive response rate (PRR) of 85.6% for the responding countries in relation to a formal hospital leadership statement of support for AMS activities, but this was not matched by budgeted financial support for AMS activities (mean PRR 57.1%). Mean PRRs were ≥80.0% for the core AMS team comprising a physician or other leader responsible for AMS activities, a pharmacist and infection control and microbiology personnel. Most hospitals had access to a timely and reliable microbiology service (mean PRR 90.4%). Facility-specific antibiotic treatment guidelines for common infections (mean PRR 78.7%) were in place more often than pre-authorization and/or prospective audit and feedback systems (mean PRR 66.5%). In terms of AMS monitoring and reporting, PRRs of monitoring specific antibiotic use, regularly publishing AMS outcome measures, and the existence of a hospital antibiogram were 75.1%, 64.4% and 77.9%, respectively. Conclusions Most hospitals participating in this survey did not have AMS programmes fulfilling the requirements for gold standard AMS programmes in hospital settings. Urgent action is required to address AMS funding and resourcing deficits.

Background Most studies on hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) status and practices are conducted in the west, and there is a lack of such data from Asian countries. The objective of this survey was to determine existing AMS practices and gaps, and challenges in implementing AMS programs in secondary and tertiary acute-care hospitals in 10 Asian countries. Methods A 70-item questionnaire was disseminated to hospitals fulfilling inclusion criteria and responses were collected from 10 April 2020 to 9 April 2021. The survey, specific to the Asian hospital setting, enquired about hospital leadership support for AMS; AMS team membership and training; AMS interventions; AMS monitoring and reporting; hospital infrastructure; and education. These were subdivided into core and supplementary components, adapted from the Transatlantic Taskforce on Antimicrobial Resistance set of core and supplementary indicators for hospital AMS programs, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention checklist for core elements of hospital AMS programs. Results A total of 349 hospitals from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam responded. Overall, only 47 hospitals fulfilled all 12 core components, and there were inter-country differences in terms of performance. The hospitals generally did well in terms of the AMS team (ie, comprising at least a physician leader responsible for AMS activities, a pharmacist, and infection control and microbiology personnel), and access to a timely and reliable microbiology service, with mean positive response rates (PRR) of ≥ 80% for these indicators (Figure 1). In the core components of AMS program interventions, and AMS monitoring and reporting, the lower mean PRR ( > 60%) revealed that Asia has wider gaps in these areas versus gold standards. Although many hospitals had formal hospital leadership statements to support AMS (mean PPR 85.6%), this was not always matched by allocated financial support for AMS activities (mean PPR 57.1%). Figure 1 Conclusion For all core components of an AMS program, most Asian hospitals participating in this survey fell short of international gold standards. Inter-country differences in gaps highlight that country-specific solutions are needed to improve current standards in AMS. Disclosures Tetsuya Matsumoto, MD; PhD, MSD (Speaker's Bureau)Pfizer (Speaker's Bureau)