TY - JOUR
T1 - Ongoing Strategies to Improve Antimicrobial Utilization in Hospitals across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
T2 - Findings and Implications
AU - Haseeb, Abdul
AU - Saleem, Zikria
AU - Maqadmi, Aseel Fayk
AU - Allehyani, Roaa Abdulrahman
AU - Mahrous, Ahmad J.
AU - Elrggal, Mahmoud E.
AU - Kamran, Sairah Hafeez
AU - AlGethamy, Manal
AU - Naji, Asem Saleh
AU - AlQarni, Abdullmoin
AU - Alhariqi, Khalid W.
AU - Khan, Muhammad Arslan
AU - Ibrahim, Kiran
AU - Raees, Fahad
AU - Azmat, Aisha
AU - Cook, Aislinn
AU - Campbell, Stephen M.
AU - Lorenzetti, Giulia
AU - Meyer, Johanna C.
AU - Godman, Brian
AU - Moore, Catrin E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, for funding this research work through project number: IFP22UQU4290073DSR022.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing global concern, increasing costs, morbidity, and mortality. National action plans (NAPs) to minimize AMR are one of several global and national initiatives to slow down rising AMR rates. NAPs are also helping key stakeholders understand current antimicrobial utilization patterns and resistance rates. The Middle East is no exception, with high AMR rates. Antibiotic point prevalence surveys (PPS) provide a better understanding of existing antimicrobial consumption trends in hospitals and assist with the subsequent implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). These are important NAP activities. We examined current hospital consumption trends across the Middle East along with documented ASPs. A narrative assessment of 24 PPS studies in the region found that, on average, more than 50% of in-patients received antibiotics, with Jordan having the highest rate of 98.1%. Published studies ranged in size from a single to 18 hospitals. The most prescribed antibiotics were ceftriaxone, metronidazole, and penicillin. In addition, significant postoperative antibiotic prescribing lasting up to five days or longer was common to avoid surgical site infections. These findings have resulted in a variety of suggested short-, medium-, and long-term actions among key stakeholders, including governments and healthcare workers, to improve and sustain future antibiotic prescribing in order to decrease AMR throughout the Middle East.
AB - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing global concern, increasing costs, morbidity, and mortality. National action plans (NAPs) to minimize AMR are one of several global and national initiatives to slow down rising AMR rates. NAPs are also helping key stakeholders understand current antimicrobial utilization patterns and resistance rates. The Middle East is no exception, with high AMR rates. Antibiotic point prevalence surveys (PPS) provide a better understanding of existing antimicrobial consumption trends in hospitals and assist with the subsequent implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). These are important NAP activities. We examined current hospital consumption trends across the Middle East along with documented ASPs. A narrative assessment of 24 PPS studies in the region found that, on average, more than 50% of in-patients received antibiotics, with Jordan having the highest rate of 98.1%. Published studies ranged in size from a single to 18 hospitals. The most prescribed antibiotics were ceftriaxone, metronidazole, and penicillin. In addition, significant postoperative antibiotic prescribing lasting up to five days or longer was common to avoid surgical site infections. These findings have resulted in a variety of suggested short-, medium-, and long-term actions among key stakeholders, including governments and healthcare workers, to improve and sustain future antibiotic prescribing in order to decrease AMR throughout the Middle East.
KW - Middle East
KW - antimicrobial resistance
KW - antimicrobial stewardship programs
KW - antimicrobials
KW - quality indicators
KW - strategies
KW - surgical site infections
KW - utilization patterns
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160356034&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/antibiotics12050827
DO - 10.3390/antibiotics12050827
M3 - Article
C2 - 37237730
AN - SCOPUS:85160356034
SN - 2079-6382
VL - 12
JO - Antibiotics
JF - Antibiotics
IS - 5
M1 - 827
ER -