Effect of a multifaceted stewardship intervention on antibiotic prescribing and outcomes for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections

Background:Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) are a leading cause of hospitalization, but are often treated inappropriately in the inpatient setting. A multifaceted stewardship intervention was implemented to encourage prescribing of guideline-concordant therapy (GCT).Objective:To examine the impact of this initiative on antimicrobial prescribing practices and patient outcomes.Methods:This was a single-center, retrospective study of adult inpatients admitted with a primary or secondary diagnosis of ABSSSI, classified by type and severity based on signs of systemic infection. Patients treated during the pre-intervention period (pre-IP) were compared with patients treated during the post-intervention period (post-IP). The primary endpoint was receipt of GCT. Secondary endpoints included receipt of anti-anaerobic antibiotic (AAA) or broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSA).Results:A total of 125 patients were included, 64 in the pre-IP and 61 in the post-IP. There was a statistically signifi...