In the evolving landscape of healthcare, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of our most pressing challenges.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites adapt to resist the medicines used to treat them, rendering these medicines ineffective.
Many essential medical interventions today (e.g. surgeries, transplants, chemotherapy) rely on antimicrobials for their success. The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms threatens to undermine modern medicine, making it imperative that we work together to prevent AMR.
World AMR Awareness Week is an international campaign that raises awareness of the threat of AMR and the ways that we can prevent it.
Stop, check, go with the Antimicrobial Traffic Light tool
One of the many Monash Health initiatives aimed to improve antimicrobial use is the Antimicrobial Traffic Light Tool, whereby broader spectrum antimicrobials require infectious disease approval prior to use, to ensure the antimicrobial is optimal for the patient.
- Red antimicrobials require ID approval
- Orange antimicrobials are pre-approved for specific indications only. If used for a different indication, approval from the Infectious Diseases team is required.
- Green antimicrobials can be used without prior approval
At Monash Health, we can all work together to prevent the progression of AMR, and protect ourselves, our current and future patients.
We can all play a part
We can all play a part to ensure antimicrobials are used appropriately and prevent infectious diseases. Some simple actions include:
- Ensure antimicrobials are prescribed in accordance with the therapeutic guidelines and, where possible, use diagnostics to inform treatment decisions
- Prevent infections through good hygiene and hand washing and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Stay at home if you are unwell to stop the spread of infections
- Be up-to-date with your vaccinations
- Talk to your patients about how to prevent infections and their spread
What would a post-antibiotic world look like?
Monash Health also benefits from having preeminent infectious diseases physician Professor Allen Cheng on the Monash Health team. Earlier this month, Professor Cheng authored an article in The Conversation about antimicrobial resistance. Read it here.
To learn more about AMR, please visit www.amr.gov.au, read about World AMR Week at World AMR Awareness Week or reach out to the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team at ams@monashhealth.org.
Together we can save our antimicrobials and prevent the development of resistance.
Can you guess the antimicrobial? Let’s have some fun as we shine a light on the importance of protecting our antimicrobials.
In celebration of World AMR Awareness Week, let’s have some fun. See if you can guess the antimicrobial in these emoji puzzles.
Submit your answers by 24 November to go into the running to win a superbug plushie. (You don’t need to get all the emoji puzzles correct to go into the running. All participants will be included.)
Find a pdf of the quiz here
or
Submit your answers here
Approved by Andrew Perta, Interim Chief Operating Officer