2022 Summer GAPNA Newsletter Volume 41 Number 2

Antibiotic Use Significantly Reduced in Long-Term Care Facilities

A new study found that more than 400 long-term care (LTC) facilities participating in the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use significantly reduced antibiotic use.

Reductions were noted in use of fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics known to cause adverse effects in older adults. Up to 75% of antibiotics prescribed in LTC facilities are inappropriate, which can contribute to antibiotic resistance.

The Toolkit To Improve Antibiotic Use in Long-Term Care is based on the experiences of facilities that participated in the program.

It includes resources, webinars, and practical tools frontline staff can use to incorporate antibiotic stewardship principles into routine decision making through the novel framework Four Moments of Antibiotic Decision Making.