Effect of Intervention by the Infection Control Team on Appropriate Use of Anti-MRSA Drugs

Abstract

  Our hospital Infection Control Team (ICT) has managed the use of anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) drugs [vancomycin (VCM), arbekacin (ABK), and teicoplanin (TEIC)] since 2000. The present study evaluated the effect of intervention by the ICT on the following: Annual total amount of anti-MRSA drugs used; number of patients treated with anti-MRSA drugs and duration of treatment with anti-MRSA drugs. The frequencies of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of anti-MRSA drugs and loading administration of TEIC were also assessed. The total amount of anti-MRSA drugs used in our hospital has tended to decrease since 2000. The mean duration of VCM treatment significantly decreased from 13.7±14.2 days (N=172) in 2000 to 8.2±11.1 days (N=299) in 2006 (p=0.0001). The frequency of TDM for VCM significantly increased from 33.3% in 2000 to 70.6% in 2006 (p<0.001), and the total frequency of TDM for anti-MRSA drugs also significantly increased from 29.7% to 63.4%, respectively (p<0.001). The frequency of loading administration of TEIC in 2006 was higher than that in 2000. These findings suggest that intervention by the ICT promotes the appropriate use of anti-MRSA drugs.