CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIMARY LITERATURE FOCUSED ON ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP FROM JANUARY 2000 TO MARCH 2013

Objective. This project was conducted to describe characteristics of primary literature on antimicrobial stewardship (AS) to better understand the state of research on this topic. Background. Antimicrobial resistance, infection control measures, and the scarcity of new antimicrobial agents are important to nations worldwide, sparking global interest in AS. Methods. A PubMed search of the term “antimicrobial stewardship” was conducted in 6/2013 with these filters: abstract available, human species, English language, and publication range 1/1/2000-3/31/2013. Publications not reporting AS intervention outcomes were excluded. Collected data included basic identifiers in addition to publication year, journal professional affiliation(s), author discipline(s), and core and supplemental AS elements used. Three student pharmacists documented initial findings in a Microsoft® Excel® database. Final results were cross-referenced with a second student pharmacist for accuracy. Results. Out of 218 publications, 58 (27%) met inclusion criteria. No study prior to 2007 was included. Medical and pharmacy journals published most (69% and 26%, respectively). Fifty-five percent of studies featured collaborations between physicians and pharmacists. Overall, 47% of studies assessed at least one of the two core AS strategies, and 66% examined multiple AS elements. The most frequently assessed AS elements were: comprehensive multidisciplinary antimicrobial management programs (40%), guidelines/clinical pathways (40%), and the two core AS strategies (26% each). Conclusion. Further studies are required to elucidate optimal management of the numerous potential AS endeavors. Moreover, development of an AS-specific interprofessional journal may be warranted. Grants. All authors have no financial assistance disclosures to report