{"id":3295,"date":"2021-10-21T13:07:54","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T17:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/?page_id=3295"},"modified":"2024-03-25T15:21:10","modified_gmt":"2024-03-25T19:21:10","slug":"shorter-safer-better-pledge-campaign","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/casp\/educational-resources\/shorter-safer-better-pledge-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Shorter. Safer. Better. Pledge Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/som-cell>\n

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Antimicrobials are drugs that kill or prevent the growth of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Antimicrobials can be life-saving therapies for patients with serious infections.\u00a0 For patients who do not have infections, antimicrobials are not helpful and increase the likelihood of developing antimicrobial resistance and patient harm.\u00a0\u00a0Antimicrobial stewardship programs including the Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program help ensure patients with infections get the right drug, at the right dose, for the right length of time, or duration.<\/p>\n

Too often, patients with common infectious syndromes such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and skin and soft tissue infections receive longer-than-needed antimicrobial treatment when a shorter duration would be equally effective.<\/p>\n

Antimicrobial resistance is a top global public health threat, including here in the US. When an antimicrobial is no longer effective because of resistance, healthcare teams have fewer options to treat patients.\u00a0 Today, some pathogens are impossible to treat with existing antimicrobials. Such infections are regularly seen at UNC Hospitals. \u00a0 Currently, there are not enough new antimicrobials in development to replace the ones that no longer work.\u00a0 In the future, many people could die of common infections, as they did before the antimicrobials were invented.\u00a0 Antimicrobial stewardship is one way healthcare providers can help slow resistance.<\/p>\n

Shorter Durations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/i> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Have fewer side effects and complications<\/p>\n<\/i> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 May lead to shorter hospital stays, lower costs, and improved patient adherence<\/p>\n<\/i> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 May slow antimicrobial resistance, keeping these life-saving drugs effective for longer<\/p>\n

Experts at the UNC Medical Center Carolina Antimicrobial Stewardship Program\u00a0developed Best Practices for Durations of Antimicrobial Therapy<\/a> to aid patient care teams as they select the best care for their patients.<\/p>\n

Each of us can be an antimicrobial steward. One important way for nurses, pharmacists, and prescribers to practice stewardship is by knowing, using, and promoting shorter antimicrobial durations whenever possible.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Common Questions<\/h2>\n
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