Antimicrobial stewardship impact on prescriptions in cats
New prudent use guidelines were introduced in Switzerland to promote antimicrobial stewardship activities and responsible clinical prescribing. Data from seven hundred and seventy-six cases in 2016 were compared to seven hundred and ninety-two cases in 2018 on diagnosis ranging from acute upper respiratory tract disease (aURTD), feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and abscesses.
Antimicrobial prescription type and proportions were compared between the two periods to evaluate compliance with the new prudent use guidelines. After the evaluation, antimicrobial prescriptions in all cases decreased by 8.3%, the most notable decrease in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease.
Antimicrobial therapy compliance did not increase when a prescription was indicated, both at private and university practices. Antibiotics were found to be increasingly withheld in cases with no indication for antimicrobial use, seen with some acute upper respiratory tract disease and in private practices compared to university settings.
This study found that overall. unjustified antibiotic therapy decreased from 2016 to 2018 for the feline diseases previously listed, however compliance with Swiss guidelines was still low, suggesting further efforts may still be required.
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