Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) in Intensive Care Units ARTIC Project

Patients in intensive care units (ICU) are the sickest and most vulnerable patients in the hospital, and upwards of 70% of ICU patients are on antimicrobials. Some of these antimicrobials may be unnecessary and exposure to unnecessary antimicrobials places patients at risk adverse drug events, and drug-resistant infections including C. difficile, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) and invasive fungal infections.

Through the establishment of the CAHO ASP Project it is anticipated the resistence profile in ICUs to commonly used antimicrobials will improve considerably over time. Developed by Mount Sinai Hospital in collaboration with University Health Network, this program will help intensive care units optimize the use of antimicrobials to improve patient outcomes while minimizing antimicrobial resistance and costs and develop a system for hospitals to compare their results and develop best practices that will benefit the entire healthcare system.

Based on the experience at Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network, it is anticipated that antimicrobial stewardship will reduce ICU antimicrobial use by 12-25% and will reduce ICU antimicrobial costs by 23-41%.

Currently, the following hospitals are participating in the CAHO ASP Project: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Hamilton Health Sciences, Health Sciences North, Kingston General Hospital, London Health Science Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, North York General Hospital, The Ottawa Hospital, The Hospital for Sick Children, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, St. Michael’s Hospital and University Health Network.