Rationale and Comments

In addition to employing microbe-directed therapy, a core principle of antibiotic stewardship is limiting antimicrobial therapy to the shortest effective duration. As a general rule, antimicrobials should be discontinued when the condition for which they were prescribed has been adequately treated, as one strategy to ensure access to effective antimicrobials at a time when increased antimicrobial resistance represents a global health care challenge.

Sponsoring Organizations

• Society of Critical Care Medicine

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Disciplines

• Infectious disease

References

• CDC. Core elements of hospital antibiotics stewardship program. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, 2019.