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Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long Term Care

Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long Term Care

We promote and support antimicrobial stewardship as an effective strategy for limiting inappropriate and excessive antimicrobial use, while improving and optimizing antimicrobial therapy and clinical outcomes for residents in long-term care (LTC). Overuse of antibiotics, particularly in the older adults, has been associated with an increased risk of harm. Fifty percent of antibiotics in LTC are not needed. Residents in homes with higher antibiotic use experience a twenty-four percent increase risk of antibiotic-related harm.

Long-term care residents present unique challenges to antimicrobial stewardship. See resources below to encourage antimicrobial stewardship in LTC.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Program

The UTI Program supports LTCHs to improve the management of UTIs for non-catheterized residents in their homes and helps them implement the organizational and individual practice changes required.

Learn about the program

Antimicrobial Stewardship Essentials

Best Practice

A primer meant to guide directors of care, medical directors, prescribers, quality improvement specialists and antimicrobial stewardship champions in planning or expanding an ASP in LTC. 

1.5 MB
Updated 2 Oct 2018

Checklist

A checklist that supports the implementation or expansion of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in a long-term care (LTC) setting and provides some examples of resources and practical tools.

1.5 MB
Updated 2 Oct 2018

Infographic

Infographic of literature examining antibiotic use in Ontario long-term care homes and recommendations on how to reduce harm to residents.
1 MB
Updated 27 Jan 2017

 Shorter is Smarter: Reducing Duration of Antibiotic Therapy

Evidence Brief

A summary of literature pertaining to treatment duration for uncomplicated cellulitis, particularly as it relates to residents of LTC homes.

1.2 MB
Updated 2 Oct 2018

Evidence Brief

A summary of the literature pertaining to treatment duration for pneumonia with a focus on its implications to residents of LTC homes. 
 
1.2 MB
Updated 2 Oct 2018

Evidence Brief

A summary of the literature pertaining to treatment of uncomplicated lower UTI in LTC residents, with a focus on optimal duration of therapy.

1.3 MB
Updated 2 Oct 2018

Fact Sheet

A fact sheet that outlines shorter courses of antibiotics for common infections in long-term care.
226 KB
Updated 2 Oct 2018

Infographic

An infographic that outlines the benefits of reducing duration of antibiotic therapy in long-term care.
164 KB
Updated 2 Oct 2018
Event

PHO Rounds: Preventing Childhood Asthma: The Neglected Impacts of Antibiotic Stewardship and Human Milk Exposure in Infants

This session of PHO Rounds presents a recently concluded study of 600,000 Canadian children in two provinces, showing that this association is operating in populations at a scale that may help to explain observed tempering of the asthma epidemic.

Read More

Related Information

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Contact the Department

asp@oahpp.ca

Updated 10 May 2019
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