Enrollment in the PQCNC Antibiotic Stewardship/Neonatal sepsis initiative continues to grow including newborn nurseries and neonatal intensive care units across North Carolina as well as Virginia, Hawaii and Italy.
The kickoff meeting for the PQCNC Antibiotic stewardship/Neonatal sepsis initiative was held on January 10, 2017 with over 120 members in attendance. Presentations were provided by Dr. Michael Cotten, Dr. Carl Seashore and Dr. James Perciaccante on the principles of antibiotic stewardship and the use and implementation of the Kaiser sepsis calculator. Additionally, two parents, who are members of their hospital perinatal improvement teams, provided their perspective on antibiotic use for their children during their NICU stay.
The kickoff meeting signaled the end of the baseline data collection period and teams have now begun to implement different aspects of the action plan for antibiotic stewardship with the majority of teams concentrating on the implementation of the Kaiser sepsis calculator for infants greater than 34 weeks gestation. Data is being collected on the rationale for antibiotic prescribing, continuing antibiotic treatment with a negative blood culture and overall antibiotic usage to allow teams to understand their prescribing practices and treatment options more completely.