CDC 12 Step Program for Preventing Antibacterial Resistance in Hospitalized Patients

Are you trying to prevent spread of resistant organisms in your institution?

• get the influenza vaccine annually?

• give the influenza and the Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccines to at-risk patients before hospital discharge?

• use catheters only when essential?

• use the correct catheter?

• use proper insertion and catheter-care protocols?

• remove catheters when no longer essential?

• target empiric therapy to likely pathogens?

• culture the patient?

• target definitive therapy to known pathogens?

• optimize timing, regimen, dose, route and duration of antibiotic therapy?

• monitor response and adjust treatment when needed?

• consult ID experts for patients with serious infections?

• engage in local antimicrobial appropriate use programs?

• know your antibiogram?

• know your formulary?

• know your patient population?

• use proper antisepsis before taking blood cultures?

• avoid culturing vascular catheter tips?

• avoid culturing through temporary vascular catheters?

• treat pneumonia, not the tracheal aspirate?

• treat UTIs, not the indwelling catheter?

• treat bacteremia, not the catheter tip or hub?

• treat bone infection, not skin flora?

• not use vancomycin for every patient with fever and an IV alone?

• not use vancomycin for MRSA if the strain is sensitive to another agent?

• treat infection, not contamination or colonization?

• stop treatment when infection has been treated?

• stop treatment when infection is not the diagnosis?

• stop treatment when infection is unlikely?

• use standard infection control precautions?

• contain infectious body fluids?

• consult infection control experts when in doubt?

• stay home when sick?

• keep your hands clean?

• set an example to others?