» Opioid Crisis Training
» Antimicrobial Stewardship
» Immunization Information
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) takes place during the third week of October each year. The theme of IIPW is antibiotic resistance. Not only is resistance to antimicrobials making pathogens more and more difficult to treat, but these types of infections can be deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the lowest estimated number of illnesses and deaths due to resistant bacteria and fungi per year is 2,049,442 and 23,000, respectively.
In an effort to combat the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AR) we have seen the creation and adoption of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). These programs are meant to encourage appropriate use of antimicrobials, as well as building teamwork between partners throughout the spectrum of care (physicians, pharmacists, etc.) in order to ensure appropriate prescription.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program, along with our partners in our Advisory Group, have worked to create Antimicrobial Stewardship (AS) resources that can be used in combination with those created by CDC. One resource that was created this year, and that we have promoted previously, is our ASP toolkit for critical access hospitals.
Recently we created carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO/CRE) FAQ and infection control recommendation documents to help facilities dealing with CROs. Some of our newest materials are from our Pharmacy workgroup and can be found on our HAI/AR Advisory Group webpage, and include resources such as this poster that helps to explain when antibiotics may or may not be needed.
New KDHE AS materials for healthcare professionals and patients are available on the HAI/AR website.
