MDS Alert

Use this CDC companion checklist to get started.

You should be doing more to bolster your antibiotic prescribing practices and reduce antibiotic-resistant infections. So says new guidance and tools from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC recently released The Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes (see www.cdc.gov/longtermcare/prevention/antibiotic-stewardship.html), which adapted the Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship for the nursing home setting. The Core Elements include a set of tools and CDC guidance on how nursing homes can implement one or two strategies or activities to gradually improve antibiotic use.

At a minimum, the CDC recommends that nursing home antibiotic stewardship activities should include:

1. Leadership Commitment: Demonstrate support and commitment to safe and appropriate antibiotic use.

2. Accountability: Identify leaders who are responsible for promoting and overseeing antibiotic stewardship activities at the nursing home.

3. Drug Expertise: Establish access to experts with experience or training in improving antibiotic use.

4. Action: Take at least one new action to improve the way antibiotics are used in the facility.

5. Tracking: Measure how antibiotics are used and the complications (e.g., c. difficile infections) from antibiotics in the facility.

6. Reporting: Share information with healthcare providers and staff about how antibiotics are used in thefacility.

7. Education: Provide resources to healthcare providers, nursing staff, residents and families to learn about antibiotic resistance and opportunities for improving antibiotic use.

The CDC also developed a companion checklist to assess policies and practices that your nursing facility already has in place and to review your progress in expanding stewardship activities. You can access the companion checklist at www.cdc.gov/longtermcare/pdfs/core-elements-antibiotic-stewardship-checklist.pdf.