This indicator measures the number of antimicrobial-free days (both antibacterial and antifungal) in ICU for the reporting period.

Antimicrobial-free days: Number of patient-days when both antifungal and antibacterial therapies were not administered (for the selected reporting period and entity)

Retired

Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs)

Safe

Process

Since it is generally accepted that 30-50% of antimicrobials used in acute care are unnecessary or inappropriate, the desired directionality is an upward trend in the number of antimicrobial- free days. However, for mature ASPs where ICU stewardship efforts have been optimized, this metric would be expected to plateau and the target should be to maintain.

This is an additional QIP indicator for 2018/19. Current performance reporting period: recent quarter available, with monthly trends. To access data: Critical Care Information System (CCIS) ICU Reports, 10.2b Antimicrobial Free Days (Trend). This metric only applies to hospitals with level 2 and 3 Critical Care Units. An antimicrobial stewardship program can help to optimize antimicrobial free days by ensuring appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy, including minimizing unnecessary therapy and reducing prolonged duration of treatment. The 32 Antimicrobial stewardship strategies which have been compiled by PHO to help organizations build, grow and enhance their antimicrobial stewardship programs may be useful to hospitals when considering interventions that can be used to optimize antimicrobial use in the ICU. The Ontario Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) Comparison Tool is an online interactive report of antimicrobial stewardship programs in Ontario hospitals/corporations that enables users to compare program structural elements as well as specific program strategies that have been implemented in participating hospitals. Contact information is included and reaching out to colleagues to learn and share is encouraged. Further details about antimicrobial utilization metrics can be found at: http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/ASP_Metrics_Examples.pdf. A tool to assist programs in ensuring accurate antimicrobial data is included in CCIS is provided on page 11 of this metrics document. This includes key tips on collecting this data and a list of systemic antibacterial and antifungal agents to be entered into CCIS. This indicator was retired in the 2019/20 QIP.

05/03/2019 17:43:00