Antibiotic Stewardship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38835250/ Antibiotics are often given to preterm and vulnerable newborns before infections are confirmed in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In an article published in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, AHRQ-supported scholars reviewed general principles of antibiotic stewardship, a careful approach to reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, and how it can be applied to NICUs to avoid adverse effects and limit antibiotic resistance. They summarized current antibiotic use metrics and reviewed evidence-based infection prevention practices in the NICU. They also provided current recommendations for practical antibiotic use in the NICU, summarized the usefulness of infection biomarkers and highlighted specific threats in the NICU. They concluded that by implementing these practices, NICUs can better protect newborns from risks associated with overusing antibiotics, improve patient outcomes and help combat the global issue of antibiotic resistance.