Antibiotic stewardship in NICU

Antibiotic stewardship in NICU

Antibiotic stewardship in NICU

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ASP Fundamentals - The NICU Rulebook

Antibiotic Stewardship (ASP) involves coordinated interventions to promote optimal antibiotic use, improving patient outcomes while minimizing unintended consequences.

  • Core Principles (The 4 Ds):

    • Right Drug: Based on local antibiogram & culture data.
    • Right Dose: Optimized for neonatal pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics.
    • Right Duration: Shortest effective course; stop at 48 hours if sepsis is ruled out.
    • De-escalation: Narrowing spectrum based on culture results.
  • Goals & Importance:

    • ↓ Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
    • ↓ Adverse effects (e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis, invasive candidiasis).
    • Protects the neonatal gut microbiome.

⭐ Unnecessary early-life antibiotics are linked to an increased risk of atopy, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Core Strategies - The Stewardship Playbook

  • Empirical Therapy Selection:
    • Base choices on local NICU antibiogram data.
    • Risk-stratify for Early-Onset (EOS) vs. Late-Onset Sepsis (LOS).
  • Antibiotic Timeout:
    • Mandatory formal review at 48-72 hours post-initiation.
    • Assess necessity of continuing, stopping, or narrowing therapy.
  • De-escalation:
    • Switch to a narrower-spectrum agent once culture and sensitivity results are available.
    • Reduces selective pressure for resistance.
  • Biomarker Guidance:
    • Falling trends in Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) support antibiotic discontinuation.

⭐ In suspected early-onset sepsis with negative cultures and a stable infant, antibiotics can be safely discontinued at 48 hours.

Metrics & Antibiograms - Keeping Score

  • Key Consumption Metrics:
    • Days of Therapy (DOT): Total days a patient is on any antibiotic.
    • Length of Therapy (LOT): Duration of a single antibiotic course.
    • Defined Daily Doses (DDD): Assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug. Unit: DDDs per 100 or 1000 patient-days.

⭐ Days of Therapy (DOT) is the preferred metric over DDD in pediatric populations as it is not influenced by dosing adjustments.

  • Local NICU Antibiogram:

    • Essential for guiding empirical therapy.
    • Must be created and updated regularly (e.g., annually) to reflect local resistance patterns.
  • Stewardship Measures:

    • Process Measures: Adherence to guidelines, pre-authorization compliance.
    • Outcome Measures: ↓ Resistance rates, ↓ C. difficile infections, ↓ antibiotic costs.
  • Empiric therapy for early-onset sepsis (EOS) remains Ampicillin and an aminoglycoside (Gentamicin).
  • Crucially, stop antibiotics at 48-72 hours if blood cultures are negative and the baby is clinically stable.
  • The IAP-NIC sepsis calculator is key for risk stratification to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
  • Procalcitonin (PCT) is a more specific biomarker than CRP for guiding antibiotic de-escalation.
  • Avoid third-generation cephalosporins as first-line empiric therapy to prevent resistance.
  • Prolonged antibiotic courses are linked to increased risks of NEC, fungal sepsis, and mortality.

Practice Questions: Antibiotic stewardship in NICU

Test your understanding with these related questions

A newborn infant is born at 40 weeks gestation to a G1P1 mother. The pregnancy was uncomplicated and was followed by the patient's primary care physician. The mother has no past medical history and is currently taking a multi-vitamin, folate, B12, and iron. The infant is moving its limbs spontaneously and is crying. His temperature is 98.7°F (37.1°C), blood pressure is 60/38 mmHg, pulse is 150/min, respirations are 33/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

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Flashcards: Antibiotic stewardship in NICU

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What is the 2nd most common cause of neonatal meningitis?_____

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

What is the 2nd most common cause of neonatal meningitis?_____

E. coli

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