Optimizing Prophylactic Antibiotic Use among Surgery Patients in Ethiopian Hospitals
Optimizing Prophylactic Antibiotic Use among Surgery Patients in Ethiopian Hospitals
By: Getachew Alemkere, Hailu Tadeg, Workineh Getahun, Wendosen Shewarega, Asrat Agalu, Mohan P. Joshi, and Niranjan Konduri
Publication: Journal of Infection and Public Health; 4 November 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.10.037
Abstract
Since 2018, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) has been working to institutionalize antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs across the country. The USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program supported Ethiopia’s multipronged One Health approach to combat AMR. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of a quality improvement intervention to optimize the use of antimicrobials for surgical prophylaxis.
Basic AMS interventions were introduced in five hospitals from January to May 2023. The AMS committees and multidisciplinary teams working at the surgical wards were trained and provided on-site support to implement surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) interventions. A before-after comparison was made for 206 medical records at baseline and 213 during the intervention phase. Qualitative data were gathered through discussions during experience-sharing workshops to supplement the quantitative results.
Researchers found that short-term investments in basic AMS interventions can help to improve SAP use in surgical wards. However, comprehensive success requires complementing AMS interventions with concurrent attention to proper supply chain and infection prevention and control.