As part of Antimicrobial Awareness Week (Novermber 18 – 24), the “Golden Rules for Optimal Antibiotic Use in Hospitals” highlight essential steps healthcare facilities must take to curb antimicrobial resistance. These principles focus on strengthening infection prevention and control practices, ensuring continuous staff education, and promptly identifying and eliminating infection sources. They also emphasise initiating targeted therapy based on sensitivity testing, supporting robust surveillance systems for hospital-acquired infections and AMR, and adhering to antimicrobial stewardship protocols.
Additionally, the guidelines call for prescribing antibiotics only when clinically justified and administering them in the correct dose for the shortest effective duration. Together, these measures promote safer, more rational antibiotic use and reinforce the hospital’s role in safeguarding the effectiveness of life-saving antimicrobials.