Antimicrobial stewardship: A collaborative partnership between infection preventionists and healthcare epidemiologists

It is clear that the widespread and injudicious use of antimicrobials has greatly increased the presence of MDROs that threaten the health of all. There is worldwide acknowledgment that this threat is growing and that prudent use of antimicrobials combined with infection prevention can prevent harm and improve patient safety. ASPs must harness the talents of all members of the healthcare team to effectively identify the organism, determine its susceptibility, institute any precautions required, and prescribe the narrowest-acting antibiotic that will destroy it. IPs/HEs play a pivotal role in this approach by assisting with early organism and infectedpatient identification, by promoting compliance with standard and transmission-based precautions and other infection prevention strategies such as care bundle practices, hand hygiene, and by educating staff, patients, and visitors.