Antimicrobial Stewardship Essentials

by John F. Fisher, MD MACP FIDSA

Each day, patients die of bacterial infections for which no active agents are available. This course will familiarize you with the wide variety of antimicrobial agents available, as well as their mechanisms of action, spectrum of activity, and toxicity profiles so you can be more selective in choosing an agent when one is required and do your part to delay antimicrobial resistance.

34 Lessons (1h 56m)
4 Quizzes, 4 CME credits

After completing this course, you will be able to

Summarize the mechanism of action of the major classes of antimicrobial agents.

Outline the clinical indications for the most commonly used drugs in the major classes.

Appreciate the spectrum of activity and risk of adverse reactions for drugs in each major class.

Select initial, empirical antibiotic therapy on the basis of treatment efficacy, severity of illness (e.g., sepsis), and the potential for adverse events—including the development of antibiotic resistance.

Select the appropriate drug for a given infection with the lowest risk of facilitating antimicrobial resistance and the lowest risk of promoting C. difficile and other adverse events.

Treat for the shortest effective duration.

De-escalate initial empiric antimicrobial therapy based on culture results, susceptibility studies, and other diagnostic tests to minimize the use of unnecessary broad-spectrum treatment.

Decide when a consultation with an antimicrobial stewardship team and / or infectious diseases specialist is needed.

Chapter 1

An introduction to antimicrobials

In this chapter, you’ll learn some general principles of antimicrobial stewardship designed to minimize the problem of antimicrobial resistance and adverse effects.

6 Lessons (23m 49s)

Chapter 2

Antibiotics

Master the major classes of antibacterial agents. You’ll cover basic mechanisms of action, principal uses, important side effects, and also cover the newer gram-positive drugs.

16 Lessons (1h 00m 52s)

Chapter 3

Antifungals

Learn how to deal with fungi. In this chapter, you’ll learn the basic mechanisms of action, principal uses, and important side effects of common antifungal agents.

7 Lessons (14m 59s)

Chapter 4

Antivirals

Here, the main focus will be on influenza and other viruses. You’ll cover neuraminidase inhibitors and chain terminators for treating influenza, herpes, and cytomegalovirus infections.

5 Lessons (17m 15s)