Antibiotics (Jan 2024)

Effects of a Primary Care Antimicrobial Stewardship Program on Meticillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Strains across a Region of Catalunya (Spain) over 5 Years

  • Alfredo Jover-Sáenz,
  • María Ramírez-Hidalgo,
  • Alba Bellés Bellés,
  • Esther Ribes Murillo,
  • Meritxell Batlle Bosch,
  • Anna Ribé Miró,
  • Alba Mari López,
  • José Cayado Cabanillas,
  • Neus Piqué Palacín,
  • Sònia Garrido-Calvo,
  • Mireia Ortiz Valls,
  • María Isabel Gracia Vilas,
  • Laura Gros Navés,
  • María Jesús Javierre Caudevilla,
  • Lidia Montull Navarro,
  • Cecilia Bañeres Argiles,
  • Pilar Vaqué Castilla,
  • José Javier Ichart Tomás,
  • Mireia Saura Codina,
  • Ester Andreu Mayor,
  • Roser Martorell Solé,
  • Ana Vena Martínez,
  • José Manuel Albalad Samper,
  • Susana Cano Marrón,
  • Cristina Soler Elcacho,
  • Andrés Rodríguez Garrocho,
  • Gemma Terrer Manrique,
  • Antoni Solé Curcó,
  • David de la Rica Escuin,
  • María José Estadella Servalls,
  • Ana M. Figueres Farreny,
  • Luís Miguel Montaña Esteban,
  • Lidia Sanz Borrell,
  • Arancha Morales Valle,
  • Mercè Pallerola Planes,
  • Aly Hamadi,
  • Francesc Pujol Aymerich,
  • Francisca Toribio Redondo,
  • María Cruz Urgelés Castillón,
  • Juan Valgañon Palacios,
  • Marc Olivart Parejo,
  • Joan Torres-Puig-gros,
  • the P-ILEHRDA Group,
  • on behalf of Clinical Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Group -IRBLleida-

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13010092
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
p. 92

Abstract

Read online

Primary care antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) interventions can reduce the over-prescription of unnecessary antibiotics, but the impact on the reduction in bacterial resistance is less known, and there is a lack of available data. We implemented a prolonged educational counseling ASP in a large regional outpatient setting to assess its feasibility and effectiveness. Over a 5-year post-implementation period, which was compared to a pre-intervention period, a significant reduction in antibiotic prescriptions occurred, particularly those associated with greater harmful effects and resistance selection. There was also a decrease in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and in their co-resistance to other antibiotics, particularly those with an ecological impact.

Keywords