Antimicrobial stewardship programs: progress and challenges in Brazilian pediatric intensive care units
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2025.89530Keywords:
Health Resources, Drug Resistance, Microbial, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Leadership, EfficacyAbstract
Objective: to assess Leadership Support and Definition of Responsibilities for antimicrobial stewardship programs in Brazilian pediatric intensive care units. Methods: a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted in 219 hospitals using a Leadership Support and Definition of Responsibilities assessment form. The data were analyzed based on location, service profile and institutional size. Results: hospitals in the Southeast region, with a private institutional profile, over 200 beds and up to 20 intensive care beds stood out. It was observed that 73.30% of the hospitals had formal documentation of their antimicrobial stewardship program, 90.50% had dedicated teams, 66.21% had sufficient financial resources, and 67.58% had designated a responsible manager. Conclusion: inadequate funding and the need to standardize activities are challenges. It is essential to improve multidisciplinary team engagement and to integrate strategies into antimicrobial stewardship programs for antimicrobial safety in children.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Eliane Carlosso Krummenauer, Mariana Portela de Assis, Mara Rúbia Santos Gonçalves, Magda Machado de Miranda Costa, Rochele Mosmann Menezes, Jane Dagmar Pollo Renner, Marcelo Carneiro

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