Author: Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, MD

Be Antibiotics Aware…in the Outpatient Clinics

Nebraska Medicine and Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Outpatient Setting Antimicrobial stewardship is not only about inpatient prescribing. Recent studies measuring antibiotic use in ambulatory settings have estimated that antibiotics are prescribed inappropriately 30-77% of visits(1).  Despite being one of the leaders in implementing antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals, Nebraska ranks 44th (out of 50 states and District of Columbia) […]

Nov 17, 2017

Be Antibiotics Aware…in Small and Critical Access Hospitals

In 2014, the CDC published The Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs to assist acute care facilities implement antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP).  While these efforts were relatively successful in hospitals with more than 50 beds, they were less successful in hospitals with 25 beds or less.  In response to this disparity based on hospital […]

Nov 16, 2017

Be Antibiotics Aware…in Long-Term Care Facilities

Nebraska ASAP efforts promote antimicrobial stewardship activities in long-term care facilities across the state Up to 70% of residents in long-term care facilities receive at least one course of systemic antibiotic annually, with 40-75% of prescribed antibiotics being considered unnecessary or inappropriate.  As part of the condition for participation, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid […]

Nov 15, 2017

Be Antibiotics Aware… in Hospitals

Since 2004, (Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at Nebraska Medicine) has been helping patients to receive the best antimicrobials for their infection, and assisting with decisions by prescribers on when to avoid giving antibiotics. The philosophy of the program is not to restrict access to life saving medications, but to focus on patient safety by guiding […]

Nov 14, 2017

Be Antibiotics Aware…to Preserve our Future

Antimicrobial Stewardship: Preserving the Future Antimicrobials were an amazing discovery and have been appropriately credited, along with vaccination and sanitation, with the significant improvements in human life expectancy over the last century.  With their amazing impact has come the opportunity for new therapies including organ transplant, complex surgery, and care for extremely preterm infants.  The […]

Nov 13, 2017

In Nebraska, US Antibiotic Awareness Week Kicks off with Proclamation from Governor Pete Ricketts

Antibiotic resistance is a growing national and global concern. Many factors contribute to increasing antibiotic resistance, including inappropriate or unnecessary antibiotic use in both humans and animals. Antimicrobial Stewardship is the commitment to appropriate use of antimicrobials, and both clinicians and patients can be antimicrobial stewards.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has […]

Nov 12, 2017

Infectious Diseases Journal Club – Should Patients with CAUTI Receive Early Empiric Antibiotics?

On 10/17/2017, Dr. Ashraf discussed an interesting study during UNMC Infectious Diseases Division Journal Club. The study entitled, “Empirical Antibiotic Treatment Does Not Improve Outcomes in Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection: Prospective Cohort Study” was conducted in Israel and published in the Journal Clinical Infectious Diseases in August 2017. In this prospective observational cohort study, the authors studied […]

Nov 8, 2017

UNMC ID Fellowship Coordinator Sandy Nelson TAGME-certified!

It is with great pleasure that we announce that our UNMC Infectious Diseases Fellowship Coordinator, Sandy Nelson has passed her examination administered by the National Board for Certification: Training Administrators of Graduate Medical Education (TAGME) and has earned the designation C-TAGME. C-TAGME is available to individuals who have served as a program coordinator for two […]

Nov 4, 2017