Antimicrobials and Non-healing Wounds: An Update
This EWMA Document from 2022 provides an update to a EWMA Document published in 2013: Antimicrobials and Non-healing Wounds. Evidence, Controversies and suggestions.
Addressing the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship in wound care
Given the societal value of antimicrobials and their diminishing effectiveness due to antimicrobial resistance, the WHO is now recommending member states to strengthen national stewardship. Still, there are currently no international or coordinated legislative or regulatory mandates designed to optimize the use of antimicrobials through stewardship. However, antimicrobial stewardship programmes are increasingly advocated as means to decrease misuse of antimicrobial agents.
Along with infection prevention and control, hand hygiene and surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship is considered a key strategy in local and national programmes aiming to prevent the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and decrease preventable healthcare associated infections.
EWMA is now taking action and introduces together with BSAC a tailored stewardship concept to wound care practitioners.
Antimicrobial Stewardship in Wound Management
Project period: 2014-ongoing
EWMA is continuously contributing to the EU’s commitment to face the challenges of antimicrobial resistance. A number of initiatives and publications have been successfully accomplished, and parallel to this, EWMA has been working on establishing contact and partnerships with organisations and groups that have mutual and synergistic objectives on the antimicrobial resistance agenda. We are pleased to have a long standing collaboration with the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC). Furthermore, we are a committed member of the Antimicrobial Resistance Stakeholder Network (AMR).
With the growing global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the EWMA Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme calls for prudent and appropriate use of antimicrobials (antibiotic or non-antibiotic) in wound management.
The aim of the programme is to promote:
- Infection prevention and control
- Correct diagnosis of infection
- Appropriate use of non-antibiotic antimicrobials in wound management across all healthcare settings
Antimicrobial stewardship – from theory to practice
In this recorded webinar from 2023, you can explore the wound infection continuum, myths and reality of biofilms, and dive into specific cases.
Industry supporters
The campaign is kindly supported by the following companies (unrestricted grants):
