Implementation and Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Tertiary Care Center in South India

Rationalizing irrational prescribing-infection-related attitudes and practices across paediatric surgery specialties in a hospital in South India

Background and objectives

Antibiotic use in paediatric surgical specialties is understudied. We investigated the antibiotic prescribing practices of paediatric general and cardiovascular surgical teams in a tertiary hospital in South India.

Methods

Mixed-methods study including observations from ward rounds, semi-structured interviews, and review of antibiotic prescribing. Field notes from observations and interview transcripts were coded using NVivo and thematically analysed. Data collection and analysis were iterative and continued until thematic saturation. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results

Data included 62 h of observation, 24 interviews, one case study and 200 patient chart reviews (100/specialty). Senior surgeons make key decisions, referring to their own experience when prescribing antibiotics. Being outcome-driven, the doctors often prescribe antibiotics at the earliest indication of infection with a reluctance to de-escalate, even when an infection is not diagnosed. This practice is more acute among surgeons who consider themselves responsible for their patients' health and attribute the consistently low surgical site infection rates to this practice.In general surgery, 83.3% (80/96; 4 lost to follow-up) of patients were prescribed antibiotics for the duration of their stay with oral antibiotics prescribed at discharge. The surgeons use antibiotics prophylactically for patients who may be vulnerable to infection. The antimicrobial stewardship team was considered to have limited influence in the decision-making process.

Conclusions

Outcome-driven decision-making in surgery leads to overprescription of antibiotics and prolonged surgical prophylaxis. The rationale for suboptimal practices is complicated by the surgeons' beliefs about the contextual determinants of health in India.

Safety and efficacy of new generation azole antifungals in the management of recalcitrant superficial fungal infections and onychomycosis

INTRODUCTION

Terbinafine is considered the gold standard for treating skin fungal infections and onychomycosis. However, recent reports suggest that dermatophytes are developing resistance to terbinafine and the other traditional antifungal agents, itraconazole and fluconazole. When there is resistance to terbinafine, itraconazole or fluconazole, or when these agents cannot used, for example, due to potential drug interactions with the patient's current medications, clinicians may need to consider off-label use of new generation azoles, such as voriconazole, posaconazole, fosravuconazole, or oteseconazole. It is essential to emphasize that we do not advocate the use of newer generation azoles unless traditional agents such as terbinafine, itraconazole, or fluconazole have been thoroughly evaluated as first-line therapies.

AREAS COVERED

This article reviews the clinical evidence, safety, dosage regimens, pharmacokinetics, and management algorithm of new-generation azole antifungals.

EXPERT OPINION

Antifungal stewardship should be the top priority when prescribing new-generation azoles. First-line antifungal therapy is terbinafine and itraconazole. Fluconazole is a consideration but is generally less effective and its use may be off-label in many countries. For difficult-to-treat skin fungal infections and onychomycosis, that have failed terbinafine, itraconazole and fluconazole, we propose consideration of off-label voriconazole or posaconazole.

Combatting antifungal resistance: Paradigm shift in the diagnosis and management of onychomycosis and dermatomycosis

Antifungal resistance has become prevalent worldwide. Understanding the factors involved in spread of resistance allows the formulation of strategies to slow resistance development and likewise identify solutions for the treatment of highly recalcitrant fungal infections. To investigate the recent explosion of resistant strains, a literature review was performed focusing on four main areas: mechanisms of resistance to antifungal agents, diagnosis of superficial fungal infections, management, and stewardship. The use of traditional diagnostic tools such as culture, KOH analysis and minimum inhibitory concentration values on treatment were investigated and compared to the newer techniques such as molecular methods including whole genome sequencing, and polymerase chain reaction. The management of terbinafine-resistant strains is discussed. We have emphasized the need for antifungal stewardship including increasing surveillance for resistant infection.

Association Between Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs and Antibiotic Use Globally: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

IMPORTANCE

Antimicrobial resistance continues to spread rapidly at a global scale. Little evidence exists on the association of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) with the consumption of antibiotics across health care and income settings.

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize current evidence regarding the association between antimicrobial stewardship programs and the consumption of antibiotics globally.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched from August 1, 2010, to Aug 1, 2020. Additional studies from the bibliography sections of previous systematic reviews were included.

STUDY SELECTION

Original studies of the association of ASPs with antimicrobial consumption across health care and income settings. Animal and environmental studies were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Following the Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline, the pooled association of targeted ASPs with antimicrobial consumption was measured using multilevel random-effects models. The Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool was used to assess study quality.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The main outcome measures were proportion of patients receiving an antibiotic prescription and defined daily doses per 100 patient-days.

RESULTS

Overall, 52 studies (with 1 794 889 participants) measured the association between ASPs and antimicrobial consumption and were included, with 40 studies conducted in high-income countries and 12 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). ASPs were associated with a 10% (95% CI, 4%-15%) reduction in antibiotic prescriptions and a 28% reduction in antibiotic consumption (rate ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.92). ASPs were also associated with a 21% (95% CI, 5%-36%) reduction in antibiotic consumption in pediatric hospitals and a 28% reduction in World Health Organization watch groups antibiotics (rate ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.92).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, ASPs appeared to be effective in reducing antibiotic consumption in both hospital and nonhospital settings. Impact assessment of ASPs in resource-limited settings remains scarce; further research is needed on how to best achieve reductions in antibiotic use in LMICs.

A quality improvement initiative to improve the appropriateness of candidemia management by the implementation of a comprehensive candidemia care bundle at a tertiary care hospital in South India: Results of a quasi-experimental study

Management of candidemia in developing countries like India encounters laxity in appropriate clinical management and challenges in terms of healthcare capacity, despite its association with high morbidity and mortality. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive candidemia care bundle implementation on appropriateness of therapy and major clinical outcomes.The single-center, quasi-experimental study conducted at a south Indian tertiary care center included adult patients diagnosed with candidemia. Following a retrospective review of candidemia patients of the pre-implementation period (January 2013-December 2015), the hospital antifungal stewardship team instituted a clinical pharmacist driven comprehensive candidemia care bundle for candidemia patients during the post-implementation period (October 2017-2019) and its impact on appropriateness of antifungal prescriptions and inpatient mortality was evaluated.The study included 175 patients with candidemia, comprising of 103 patients in the pre-implementation period and 72 patients in the post-implementation period. Appropriateness of antifungal prescriptions rose to 65% during post-implementation period from 30% observed in pre-implementation phase (P = .0005). The inhospital mortality rate reduced from 40% in the pre-implementation phase to 36% in the post-implementation phase, recording a 10% reduction over 2 years post-implementation (P = .26). No significant difference was observed in terms length of stay (P = .17).Our study demonstrates the successful implementation of an antifungal stewardship led comprehensive care bundle in a low middle income countries setting. The results of our study will have profound implications in improving the appropriateness of management of candidemia and feasibility of scaling up to wider settings could be explored.

Guidelines on Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Korea

These guidelines were developed as a part of the 2021 Academic R&D Service Project of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in response to requests from healthcare professionals in clinical practice for guidance on developing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). These guidelines were developed by means of a systematic literature review and a summary of recent literature, in which evidence-based intervention methods were used to address key questions about the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents and ASP expansion. These guidelines also provide evidence of the effectiveness of ASPs and describe intervention methods applicable in Korea.

Strategies Used for Implementing and Promoting Adherence to Antibiotic Guidelines in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Containing antimicrobial resistance and reducing high levels of antibiotic consumption in low- and lower middle-income countries are a major challenge. Clinical guidelines targeting antibiotic prescribing can reduce consumption, however, the degrees to which clinical guidelines are adopted and adhered to are challenging for developers, policy makers and users. The aim of this study was to review the strategies used for implementing and promoting antibiotic guideline adherence in low- and lower middle-income countries. A review of published literature was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS and the information systems of the World Health Organization and the Australian National University according to PRISMA guidelines and our PROSPERO protocol. The strategies were grouped into five broad categories based on the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care taxonomy. The 33 selected studies, representing 16 countries varied widely in design, setting, disease focus, methods, intervention components, outcomes and effects. The majority of interventions were multifaceted and resulted in a positive direction of effect. The nature of the interventions and study variability made it impossible to tease out which strategies had the greatest impact on improving CG compliance. Audit and feedback coupled with either workshops and/or focus group discussions were the most frequently used intervention components. All the reported strategies are established practices used in antimicrobial stewardship programs in high-income countries. We recommend interrupted time series studies be used as an alternative design to pre- and post-intervention studies, information about the clinical guidelines be made more transparent, and prescriber confidence be investigated.

Evaluating the measures taken to contain a Candida auris outbreak in a tertiary care hospital in South India: an outbreak investigational study

BACKGROUND

Candida auris infections are an emerging global threat with poor clinical outcome, high mortality rate, high transmission rate and outbreak potential. The objective of this work is to describe a multidisciplinary approach towards the investigation and containment of a Candida auris outbreak and the preventive measures adopted in a resource limited setting.

METHODS

This outbreak investigational study was conducted at a 1300-bedded tertiary care academic hospital in South India. The study included 15 adult inpatients with laboratory confirmed Candida auris isolates. The outbreak cluster was identified in adult patients admitted from September 2017 to 2019. The system response consisted of a critical alert system for laboratory confirmed Candida auris infection and multidisciplinary 'Candida auris care team' for patient management. The team implemented stringent Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures including patient cohorting, standardized therapy and decolonization, staff training, prospective surveillance and introduction of Candida auris specific care bundle.

RESULTS

Two outbreak clusters were identified; first cluster occurring between October and November 2017 and the second cluster in May 2018. The cohorts consisted of 7 and 8 Candida auris positive patients in the first and second waves of the outbreak respectively with a total survival rate of 93% (14/15). Deployment of containment measures led to gradual decline in the incidence of adult Candida auris positive cases and prevented further cluster formation.

CONCLUSIONS

The sustained implementation of guideline and evidence-based IPC measures and training of healthcare workers for improving awareness on systematically following standardized protocols of Candida auris related IPC practices successfully contained Candida auris outbreaks at our hospital. This demonstrates the feasibility of establishing a multidisciplinary model and bundling of practices for preventing Candida auris outbreaks in a Low- and Middle-income country.

Antimicrobial Stewardship and Its Impact on the Changing Epidemiology of Polymyxin Use in a South Indian Healthcare Setting

Polymyxins being last resort drugs to treat infections triggered by multidrug-resistant pathogens necessitates the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) initiatives to support its rational prescription across healthcare settings. Our study aims to describe the change in the epidemiology of polymyxins and patient outcomes following the implementation of ASP at our institution. The antimicrobial stewardship program initiated in February 2016 at our 1300 bed tertiary care center involved post-prescriptive audits tracking polymyxin consumption and evaluating prescription appropriateness in terms of the right indication, right frequency, right drug, right duration of therapy and administration of the right loading dose (LD) and maintenance dose (MD). Among the 2442 polymyxin prescriptions tracked over the entire study period ranging from February 2016 to January 2020, the number of prescriptions dropped from 772 prescriptions in the pre-implementation period to an average of 417 per year during the post-implementation period, recording a 45% reduction. The quarterly patient survival rates had a significant positive correlation with the quarterly prescription appropriateness rates (r = 0.4774, p = 0.02), right loading dose (r = 0.5228, p = 0.015) and right duration (r = 0.4361, p = 0.04). Our study on the epidemiology of polymyxin use demonstrated favorable effects on the appropriateness of prescriptions and mortality benefits after successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship in a real-world setting.

The increasing problem of treatment-resistant fungal infections: a call for antifungal stewardship programs

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs have been widely recognized among the public health community. These programs focus majorly on bacterial infections, efficient antibiotic use, and measures to curb increasing antibacterial resistance. AMS programs are successfully established around the globe; however, very few include antifungal stewardship (AFS). The increasing incidence of superficial and invasive fungal infections, combined with delayed or inaccurate diagnosis, has contributed to the overprescribing and overuse of antifungal agents. Such increased exposure to antifungal agents may be a reason for the emergence of increasing antifungal resistance among fungal pathogens. With mounting reports of treatment failures and resistant infections, the evidence to support the need for AFS programs is increasing. AFS is an emerging branch of AMS programs that requires global attention and recognition.

Mapping the Implementation of a Clinical Pharmacist-Driven Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme at a Tertiary Care Centre in South India

In many parts of the world, including in India, pharmacist roles in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes remain unexplored. We describe the evolution and effect of the role of adding clinical pharmacists to a multidisciplinary AMS at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kerala, India. Through effective leadership, multidisciplinary AMS (February 2016) and antitubercular therapy (ATT) stewardship programmes (June 2017) were established. Clinical pharmacists were introduced as core members of the programmes, responsible for the operational delivery of key stewardship interventions. Pharmacy-led audit and feedback monitored the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescriptions and compliance to AMS/ATT recommendations. Between February 2016 and January 2017, 56% (742/1326) of antimicrobial prescriptions were appropriate, and 54% (318/584) of recommendations showed compliance. By the third year of the AMS, appropriateness increased to 80% (1752/2190), and compliance to the AMS recommendations to 70% (227/325). The appropriateness of ATT prescriptions increased from a baseline of 61% (95/157) in the first year, to 72% (62/86, June 2018-February 2019). The compliance to ATT recommendations increased from 42% (25/60) to 58% (14/24). Such a model can be effective in implementing sustainable change in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as India, where the shortage of infectious disease physicians is a major impediment to the implementation and sustainability of AMS programmes.

A road-map for addressing antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries: lessons learnt from the public private participation and co-designed antimicrobial stewardship programme in the State of Kerala, India

BACKGROUND

The global concern over antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is gathering pace. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at the epicentre of this growing public health threat and governmental and healthcare organizations are at different stages of implementing action plans to tackle AMR. The South Indian state of Kerala was one of the first in India to implement strategies and prioritize activities to address this public health threat.

STRATEGIES

Through a committed and collaborative effort from all healthcare related disciplines and its professional societies from both public and private sector, the Kerala Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been able to deliver a state-wide strategy to tackle AMR A multilevel strategic leadership model and a multilevel implementation approach that included developing state-wide antibiotic clinical guidelines, a revision of post-graduate and undergraduate medical curriculum, and a training program covering all general practitioners within the state the PPP proved to be a successful model for ensuring state-wide implementation of an AMR action plan. Collaborative work of multi-professional groups ensured co-design and development of disease based clinical treatment guidelines and state-wide infection prevention policy. Knowledge exchange though international and national platforms in the form of workshops for sharing of best practices is critical to success. Capacity building at both public and private institutions included addressing practical and local solutions to the barriers e.g. good antibiotic prescription practices from primary to tertiary care facility and infection prevention at all levels.

CONCLUSION

Through 7 years of stakeholder engagement, lobbying with government, and driving change through co-development and implementation, the PPP successfully delivered an antimicrobial stewardship plan across the state. The roadmap for the implementation of the Kerala PPP strategic AMR plan can provide learning for other states and countries aiming to implement action plans for AMR.

Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship and monitoring of infection control bundle in a surgical intensive care unit of a tertiary-care hospital in India

OBJECTIVES

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in resource-limited settings lacks models that can be readily adapted to their settings. Here we discuss the impact of a combined strategy of AMS and monitoring of infection control practices in a tertiary-care centre of a developing country.

METHODS

This study was undertaken in the surgical unit of a tertiary-care hospital over an 8-month period. In the first 2 months (baseline phase), prospective audit and feedback alone was undertaken, while in the next 6 months (intervention phase) this was supplemented with strategies such as antimicrobial timeout, correction of doses and bundle approach for prevention of hospital-acquired infections.

RESULTS

A total of 337 patients were included (94 in the baseline phase and 243 in the intervention phase). There was a decrease in days of therapy per 1000 patient-days (1000PD) (1112.3 days vs. 1048.6 days), length of therapy per 1000PD (956 days vs. 936.3 days) and defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000PD for most antimicrobials. A decrease in double cover for Gram-negative infections (9.6% vs. 2.9%) but an increase in double anaerobic cover (4.2% vs. 7.4%) was observed. There was a decrease in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia per 1000 ventilator-days in the intervention phase (46.4 vs. 35.4), whereas central line-associated bloodstream infections per 1000 central line-days remained the same (14.7 vs. 14.8).

CONCLUSION

This study shows that implementation of routine AMS activities with monitoring of infection control practices can help decrease overall antimicrobial use. With furtherance of measures to control infection, antimicrobial use may be further curtailed.

Reversing the Trend of Antimicrobial Resistance in ICU: Role of Antimicrobial and Diagnostic Stewardship

Background

Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among common bacteria combined with the slow development of new antibiotics has posed a challenge to clinicians.

Aim and objective

To demonstrate whether antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship program (ASP and DSP)-related interventions improve antibiotic susceptibilities among common bacteria causing bloodstream infections (BSI) in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and whether these resulted in changes in the volume of antimicrobial consumption.

Materials and methods

We compared the susceptibility patterns of gram-negative bacteria (GNB) and gram-positive cocci (GPC) causing BSI and changes in the volume of antibiotics prescribed for the same before and after 2017 by a retrospective analysis.

Results

Postintervention, there was increased susceptibility of all GNBs to aminoglycosides; Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. to beta-lactambeta-lactamase inhibitors (BLBLI) combinations; and Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas spp. to carbapenems. Acinetobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., and Pseudomonas spp. showed improved susceptibility to doxycycline, whereas E. coli and Klebsiella spp. showed significantly improved susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. Among GPCs, there was increased susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus (levofloxacin, clindamycin, and aminoglycoside), coagulase-negative S. aureus (CoNS) (chloramphenicol, levofloxacin, clindamycin, and aminoglycoside), and enterococci (chloramphenicol, levofloxacin, and clindamycin). There was a significant reduction in usage of antimicrobials for the treatment of GPCs (linezolid, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, levofloxacin, BLBLI, macrolide, and cephalosporin) and GNBs (levofloxacin, cephalosporin, carbapenem, and colistin), which caused BSI.

Conclusion

The present study illustrated that combined ASP and DSP interventions successfully reversed the resistance pattern of organisms causing BSI and resulted in a reduction in antibiotic utilization.

How to cite this article

Agarwal J, Singh V, Das A, Nath SS, Kumar R, Sen M. Reversing the Trend of Antimicrobial Resistance in ICU: Role of Antimicrobial and Diagnostic Stewardship. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(6):635-641.

Antimicrobial Stewardship: Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance and Protecting Global Public Health

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health. It increases morbidity and mortality, and is associated with high economic costs due to its health care burden. Infections with multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria also have substantial implications on clinical and economic outcomes. Moreover, increased indiscriminate use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic will heighten bacterial resistance and ultimately lead to more deaths. This review highlights AMR's scale and consequences, the importance, and implications of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) to fight resistance and protect global health. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), an organizational or system-wide health-care strategy, is designed to promote, improve, monitor, and evaluate the rational use of antimicrobials to preserve their future effectiveness, along with the promotion and protection of public health. ASP has been very successful in promoting antimicrobials' appropriate use by implementing evidence-based interventions. The "One Health" approach, a holistic and multisectoral approach, is also needed to address AMR's rising threat. AMS practices, principles, and interventions are critical steps towards containing and mitigating AMR. Evidence-based policies must guide the "One Health" approach, vaccination protocols, health professionals' education, and the public's awareness about AMR.

Building resilient and responsive research collaborations to tackle antimicrobial resistance-Lessons learnt from India, South Africa, and UK

Research, collaboration, and knowledge exchange are critical to global efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Different healthcare economies are faced with different challenges in implementing effective strategies to address AMR. Building effective capacity for research to inform AMR-related strategies and policies is recognised as an important contributor to success. Interdisciplinary, intersector, as well as international collaborations are needed to span global to local efforts to tackle AMR. The development of reciprocal, long-term partnerships between collaborators in high-income and in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) needs to be built on principles of capacity building. Using case studies spanning local and international research collaborations to codesign, implement, and evaluate strategies to tackle AMR, we have evaluated and build upon the ESSENCE criteria for capacity building in LMICs. The first case study describes the local codesign and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in the state of Kerala in India. The second case study describes an international research collaboration investigating AMR surgical patient pathways in India, the UK, and South Africa. We describe the steps undertaken to develop robust, agile, and flexible AMS research and implementation teams. Notably, investing in capacity building ensured that the programmes described in these case studies were sustained through the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus pandemic. Describing the strategies adopted by a local and an international collaboration to tackle AMR, we provide a model for capacity building in LMICs that can support sustainable and agile AMS programmes.

Antibiotic prescribing patterns and knowledge of antibiotic resistance amongst the doctors working at public health facilities of a state in northern India: A cross sectional study

Objectives:

The aim of the study is to understand antibiotic prescribing patterns and to understand knowledge of antibiotic resistance amongst the doctors working at public health facilities of a northern Indian state.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional study among doctors of the civil hospitals of Haryana state of India was conducted 2019. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire from a total of 215 doctors posted at the 22 district hospitals.

Results:

The response rate was 98%. Doctors (66%) perceived antibiotic resistance as a very important global problem, a very important problem in India (68%) and as an important problem in their hospital (31%). Experience in years was significantly associated with considering hand hygiene (OR, 5.78; 95% CI, 1.6420.3; P = 0.005) and treatment of bacteria as per susceptibility report of the organism (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.310.93; P = 0.03). Surgeons reported piperacillin-tazobactam (17%), cloxacillin (17%), and cephazolin (12.05%) and others (54.2%) as the first choice of antibiotics for infection after surgery. Doctors (52.3%) reported that they started antibiotics 12 hours before surgery; 15 (17%) prescribed antibiotics 6 hours before surgery; and 23 (27%) 1 day before the surgery. Time for stopping antibiotics after surgery, as reported by participants, was 1 day (15%), 23 days (35%), 57 days (44%), respectively. A total of 71 (83%) doctors thought that surgical incision could lead to post-surgical site infection.

Conclusion:

Findings of study can be utilized to enhance education on antimicrobial prescribing, antimicrobial surveillance, and prescribing patterns among doctors in our settings.

A review of animal health and drug use practices in India, and their possible link to antimicrobial resistance

BACKGROUND

Livestock production, particularly the dairy sector, is important for food and nutritional wellbeing of communities in India, it supports livelihoods of many farmers, and contributes to the economy of the country. India is a high consumer of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria are a major public health concern.

OBJECTIVES

Our objectives were to identify animal health and drug use practices that may contribute to emergence and spread of AMR in the country, review previous AMR- mitigation strategies, and discuss "theory of change" as an approach to informing the choice of interventions.

METHODS

We undertook a desk review of literature to identify practices with potential to contribute to emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in India. Searches were done in PubMed, Google scholar, and Google. Data were synthesized and discussed by themes.

RESULTS

Animal disease surveillance is less developed and infrastructure to support delivery of services is inadequate. Several groups are known to offer animal health services. The untrained "animal health workers" and para-veterinarians are more popular with farmers as they charge less for consultations (compared to veterinarians who are few and charge more). Over-the-counter access of antibiotics, without prescription, and direct marketing of drugs to farmers are common. Because of this, farmers are able to treat their animals and only consult when cases become non- responsive to treatment. Antibiotics are mostly used in management of mastitis cases. Drug withdrawal periods are rarely observed and occurrence of antibiotic- contaminated milk has been reported. Awareness on AMR is low and antimicrobial stewardship in livestock is yet to be developed. Initiatives such as the National programme for containment of AMR, National Action Plan on AMR, and the National Health policy point to government's commitment in addressing the problem of AMR in the country.

CONCLUSION

Several animal health and drug use practices, with potential to cause AMR, have been described, and their contribution can be discussed further by engaging stakeholders in a "theory of change" exercise. Interventions that address AMR from the animal health perspective should be promoted, and incentives to increase their adoption explored.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Resource Constrained Environments: Understanding and Addressing the Need of the Systems

World Health Organization (WHO) has identified antimicrobial resistance as one of the top 10 threats to public health. The agency has formulated a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance by reducing incidence of infectious diseases, increasing knowledge and awareness and promoting rational use of antimicrobials amongst other measures. While the core elements of successful antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are much publicized, there application in resource limited settings is fraught with several challenges. The key limiting factors include lack of clear political commitment, inadequate funding, overcrowded healthcare systems, lax legal and regulatory frameworks, non-uniform access to diagnostics, absence of electronic health record systems, limited knowledge and awareness especially with existence of multiple systems of medicines, issues with access to quality assured medicines, in-house pharmacies, and shortage of trained manpower. Since these implementation-impeding issues may differ considerably from those experienced in developed economies, intervention efforts in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) need to address the context and focus on the root causes prevailing locally. In this article, we review the evidence highlighting the magnitude of these challenges and suggest feasible models with effective application. We also share the evidence from our center where we have contextualized the core elements to resource constrained settings. These domains include delivering prospective audit and feedback, prescriber education, development of evidence-based and implementable guidelines, and optimization of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. However, there is a tremendous need for scaling up, extending outreach and honing these models while at the same time, addressing the existing strategic challenges that curtail the full potential of global antimicrobial stewardship.

Establishing Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance & Research Network in India: Journey so far

The Indian Council of Medical Research, in 2013, initiated the Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance & Research Network (AMRSN) to enable compilation of data on six pathogenic groups on antimicrobial resistance from the country. The overarching aim of this network was to understand the extent and pattern of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and use this evidence to guide strategies to control the spread of AMR. This article describes the conception and implementation of this AMR surveillance network for India. Also described are the challenges, limitations and benefits of this approach. Data from the Network have shown increasing resistance in Gram-negative bacteria in the hospitals that are part of this network. Combined resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones and increasing carbapenem resistance are worrisome, as it has an important bearing on the patients’ outcome and thus needs to be addressed urgently. Data generated through this Network have been used to develop treatment guidelines, which will be supportive in harmonizing treatment practices across the tertiary level healthcare institutions in the country. While, the major benefit of having a surveillance system is the collection of real-time accurate data on AMR including the mechanisms of resistance, representativeness to community, sustaining the current effort and expanding the current activities to next levels of healthcare settings are the major challenges. The data emanating from the network besides providing evidence, expose several gaps and lacunae in the ecosystem and highlight opportunities for action by multiple stakeholders.