PENSACOLA, Fla. – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 30 percent of the antibiotics prescribed by doctors’ offices and emergency departments are unnecessary. To help curb the misuse of antibiotics, Sacred Heart Health System is initiating a new program that will educate patients and reduce the risk of infections that are resistant to antibiotics.
Sacred Heart Health System is a member of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.
Dr. Doug Ross, chief clinical officer of Sacred Heart Health System said changing the antibiotic prescription habits of patients and doctors requires a complete mindset and culture change.
"Unfortunately, patients have become accustomed to receiving antibiotics when they don't feel well," he said. "Doctors want the best for their patients, and sometimes they prescribe antibiotics before receiving test results that identify the actual cause of infection."
Ross said Sacred Heart Health System is initiating an antibiotic stewardship program because interventions have proven to improve patient outcomes, reduce the proliferation of antibiotic resistance, and save lives.
Dr. Issa Ephtimios, an epidemiologist at Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola and chair of the infection control committee, said the key factors contributing to antibiotic-resistant infections are the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
"Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can infect anyone, anytime and anywhere,” Ephtimios said. “When you overuse or misuse antibiotics it creates a domino effect where you place yourself and others at risk. Research has shown that communities with higher levels of outpatient antibiotic use have higher rates of resistance to these medications."
Antibiotic resistance has become a global epidemic. According to the CDC, two million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics in the U.S. each year, and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result of these infections. The inappropriate use of antibiotics has also given rise to a severe intestinal bacterium, called Clostridium difficile or C. diff that is resistant to antibiotics. C. diff causes prolonged hospital stays, and up to 30,000 deaths each year.
Sacred Heart Health System is supported in its efforts on a national level by the Ascension Center of Excellence (COE) for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention. “Ascension has been working to build antibiotic stewardship programs across our health system,” said Mohamad Fakih, MD, MPH, Senior Medical Director of the Ascension Center of Excellence. “The goal is to optimize the use of antibiotics so that patients receive the most appropriate and effective treatment for the infection they actually have.”
The new program will provide all Sacred Heart Medical Group doctors' offices with educational materials that inform patients on symptoms associated with viral versus bacterial infections and steps they can take to alleviate their symptoms.
While antibiotics are effective in treating bacterial infections, they don’t work against viral infections like the common cold, most sore throats and the flu, Ephtimios added.
“With cold and flu season on the horizon, patients will need to understand that if they don’t receive an antibiotic prescription from their doctor, it’s because their symptoms don’t warrant it,” Ephtimios said. “Our goal is to keep everyone – patients and the community – safe year-round.”
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