What is a key concern related to antimicrobial stewardship?

A key concern related to antimicrobial stewardship is improving patient care and safety. The primary goal of antimicrobial stewardship programs is to optimize the use of antimicrobials to combat infections while simultaneously minimizing the risk of adverse effects associated with antibiotic use, such as drug resistance, side effects, and secondary infections. Effective stewardship leads to better patient outcomes by ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate antibiotic therapy tailored to their specific infections, thus enhancing the quality of care provided.

In contrast, options that suggest negative practices, such as over-prescription or maximizing infection rates, do not align with the objectives of antimicrobial stewardship. Encouraging over-prescription contradicts the aim of ensuring the responsible and judicious use of antibiotics. Similarly, promoting antibiotic use in agriculture may not directly pertain to patient care and safety in the clinical setting, though it can impact public health through resistance patterns. Therefore, the focus of antimicrobial stewardship is squarely on improving patient care and safety through the responsible use of antibiotics.