Growing a “Positive Culture” of Antimicrobial Stewardship in a Community Hospital

Abstract

The antimicrobial stewardship program in this community hospital was associated with significant decreases in antimicrobial costs and in utilization of antipseudomonal antimicrobial agents and a nonsignificant decrease in the rate of C. difficile infection. Knowledge exchange, peer-to-peer communication, and decision support, key factors in this success, will be applied in implementing the antimicrobial stewardship program throughout the hospital.