News | Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

Globally, respiratory illness is one of the most common reasons that children seek care. It is often treated inappropriately with antibiotics, which can drive the development of antibiotic resistance. In resource-rich settings, testing for specific pathogens or measurement of clinical biomarkers, such as procalcitonin and C-reactive protein, is often employed to help determine which children …

CASP’s Bill Wilson, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Infectious Diseases & Antimicrobial Stewardship in the UNC Children’s Hospital, was among the authors on a new article published today in Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice. Recent trials have shown early de-escalation of empiric antimicrobial therapy (EAT) in febrile neutropenia has led to less adverse effects with no …

During U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week and throughout the year, CDC promotes Be Antibiotics Aware, an educational effort to raise awareness about the importance of safe antibiotic prescribing and use. The Be Antibiotics Aware initiative provides resources to help improve antibiotic prescribing among healthcare professionals and use among consumers. CDC’s Be Antibiotics Aware educational effort encourages …

More than half of all patients receive at least one antimicrobial agent during their hospital stay. At the Medical Center as with other facilities, patients sometimes receive treatment that is longer than needed for common infections. Reducing unnecessary antimicrobial exposure is essential to preserving the efficacy of these drugs for the future. Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship …

Melissa Miller, PhD, is an inaugural CASP member and the director of the clinical microbiology laboratory at the UNC Medical Center.

test ordering improved from 45% to 75% between July 2020 and Sept 2021

A quality improvement effort led by CASP’s Bill Wilson, PharmD, was recognized by UNC Medical Center Improvement Council’s Quality and Safety Awards with an honorable mention for their work to prevent surgical site infections in the Children’s Hospital Operating Room. “In the past, many patients did not have orders for perioperative antibiotics placed until they …

Since 2018, UNC Medical Center Infection Prevention has bestowed Friends of Epidemiology awards to honor exceptional UNC Health Care employees in other departments. Awardees are outstanding in their work for their department and integral to the success of Infection Prevention. Each year, Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program team members have been among those recognized. At the …

Imagine: You have a patient with a penicillin allergy documented in their chart. Typically, you would prescribe amoxicillin for their infection, but that is not an option because it is a penicillin-class antibiotic. Instead, you prescribe a broader-spectrum antibiotic–not your first choice except for the allergy. But, what if you learned that it is not …

When a pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) guideline went into effect earlier this year, it got little use. That was fine by the team that developed it, led by pediatric pharmacist Bill Wilson and pediatrician Zach Willis, both with the Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. It meant that very few children needed to be hospitalized for pneumonia. …

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health threat, and growing evidence suggests that antimicrobial-resistant infections are becoming increasingly common in children. Early selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapy can improve clinical outcomes and decrease exposure to unnecessary antimicrobials. For this reason, the 2016 Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for implementing an antimicrobial stewardship program …

An estimated 10% of the US population reports having an allergic reaction to a penicillin-class antibiotic. However, when evaluated, fewer than 1% are truly allergic. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are a common alternative to penicillins and are associated with more side effects, higher healthcare costs, and antimicrobial resistance. When a patient’s allergy is removed from their medical …

pic of Zach Willis, left and Bill Wilson

For the past several years, pediatric pharmacist Bill Wilson, PharmD, of UNC Children’s Hospital has worked to ensure that children sick with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) get the best available treatment. Pneumonia is a top cause of child deaths globally, and, in the US, the majority of children hospitalized for it are under five years of …

Category: News

Rapid Diagnostic Tests to Improve Antibiotic Stewardship for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Illnesses in Uganda

Early De-escalation of Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy in Acute Leukemia Patients with Febrile Neutropenia

Be Antibiotics Aware: Protecting Patients

Shortest Effective Durations of Antimicrobial Therapy focus of CASP’s observance of World Antimicrobials Awareness Week

Miller Receives Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service

Progress in Fight Against Surgical Site Infections at UNC Children’s Hospital

Willis named Friend of Epidemiology

Penicillin allergy assessments expand to inpatient areas

Back-to-school may bring rise in child pneumonia, use of new guideline

Molecular Testing in Antimicrobial Stewardship

Penicillin Allergy Assessment Tool Kit Released

Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia Guideline Approved