October 2019
*Update - The position for the 2020-2021 academic year has been filled.
The Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine is recruiting for an Antimicrobial Stewardship Fellow for the academic 2020 – 2021 year. Click link for more information
May 2019
WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship
Stanford’s Antimicrobial Safety and Sustainability program (SASS) has been designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship. This is the first designation of its kind worldwide for antimicrobial stewardship.
January 2019
Stanford Health Care Receives the IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence Designation SHC Celebrates Antibiotic Awareness Week!
Stanford Health Care has been awarded the designation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The CoE program recognizes institutions that have created stewardship programs led by infectious diseases physicians and ID-trained pharmacists that are of the highest quality and have achieved standards aligned with evidence-based national guidelines such as the IDSA-SHEA guidelines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements. Stanford Health Care is one of 41 programs nationwide to have received the designation since the program’s launch in 2017.
November 2018
SHC Celebrates Antibiotic Awareness Week!
Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection.
During November 12-18, 2018 the annual U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week will be observed. The observance is a key component of CDC's efforts to improve antibiotic stewardship. The once-week observance raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance, which is driven by antimicrobial use, and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use.
Stanford Antimicrobial Safety and Sustainability (SASS), the SHC antimicrobial stewardship program, has as its goal assuring excellent patient care by optimization of the use of antimicrobials. This importantly includes not only the appropriate choice, dose and duration of antibiotic therapy, but assuring that antibiotics are not used at all when they are not indicated. SASS monitors antibiotic use throughout the hospital and, when necessary, intervenes to assure patient safety and favorable outcomes while reducing the antibiotic pressure that leads to resistance.
October 2018
Stan Deresinski, MD presents at IDWeek 2018 in San Francisco - check out his lecture on "What's Hot in Infectious Diseases"!
July 2018
Doctors Stan Deresinski and Marisa Holubar presented at the Medicine Grand Rounds on July 18. Check out their lecture, "Antimicrobial Stewardship: The Fierce Urgency of Now," on the Education page under Webinars/Lectures.
June 2018
Vancomycin AUC go-live on June 19th!
May 2018
Nasal MRSA PCR Go-live: Monday, May 7th!
Check out the Nasal MRSA PCR Information page and FAQ!
January 2018
In collaboration with our colleagues at WHO Europe, we developed a new, free online course demonstrating ASP principles for front-line providers. Check it out!
December 2017
Increasing Evidence of the Nephrotoxicity of Piperacillin/Tazobactam and Vancomycin Combination Therapy—What Is the Clinician to Do?
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/12/2137/4055978?guestAccessKey=a31cf2a2-2078-47a5-9d23-40a3ab72f8bd
September 2017
Hot off the press!
Comprehensive Guidance for Antibiotic Dosing in Obese Adults
June 2016
Bacteremia Due to MRSA: New Therapeutic Approaches
(free download unil 8 July 2016)
Think twice about that fluoroquinolone prescription
The FDA has issued a drug safety communication warning about potentially disabling side effects associated with the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics that “generally outweigh the benefits for patients with sinusitis, bronchitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections who have other treatment options”. These side effects can involve the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and central nervous system. Even prior to the FDA warning, fluoroquinolones were either not indicated or were not first-line recommendations in the infections above. While the FDA warning pertains mostly to outpatient infections, it will remind clinicians to reconsider use of fluoroquinolones in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
February 2016
Polymyxin B is now preferred over Colistin for infections due to MDR bacilli at SHC. See our guidebook for the Tip Sheet
January 2016
Vancomycin per Pharmacy is now live at SHC
