Jennifer L. Granick, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM): No financial relationships to disclose
A core component of antimicrobial stewardship is the tracking and reporting of antimicrobial use. Antibiotics are commonly used antimicrobials This session will present results of national point prevalence surveys of antibiotic use in companion animals in veterinary teaching hospitals. This low-tech approach has been used in national studies to quantify antibiotic use in human healthcare facilities. The results of these studies reveal diseases for which antibiotics are most prescribed to cats and dogs, how well prescribing adheres to published guidelines, and where there is a need for evidence-based guidance. These data may also be used by veterinary schools to determine if there is a disconnection between what is taught in the pre-clinical years of veterinary curricula and what prescribing behaviors students are exposed to in the clinical year(s). Methods for tracking antibiotic use in individual hospital-settings will also be shared.
Learning Objectives:
Understand why tracking of antibiotic use is a core component of antimicrobial stewardship.
Learn how antibiotic use measurement can be used to establish baseline measures, guide goal setting, and measure progress of optimizing antibiotic use in companion animals.
Learn how you can track antibiotic use in your own hospital to understand prescribing patterns and identify areas for antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
