AIMED – Let's talk about antibiotics

This forum addresses practical AMS and diagnostic stewardship issues of local and wider relevance to prescribers, pharmacists and other interested groups. The postings do not necessarily reflect Hunter New England policy.  The site is  supported by a brains trust that includes, GPs, pharmacologists, pharmacists, microbiologists and infectious disease physicians. We have no connections with PHARMA or other conflicts of interest to declare.

AIMED stands for five essential principles that seek to optimise patient treatment with antimicrobials. What is antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)?  – excellent overview from McKenzie, Rawlins and Del Mar in Australian Prescriber.

1. Antimicrobial selection & dosage compliant with guideline recommendations.
2. Indication for antimicrobial treatment  documented.
3. Microbiological assessment– collect necessary specimens PRIOR to first dose.
4. Evaluate patient at 48-72 hours- assess whether antimicrobial treatment can be modified or ceased (de-escalation).
5. Duration or review date – should always be specified.

Improving/reducing antimicrobial use across medicine, veterinary practice and agricultural settings is also an essential part of strategies to curb antimicrobial resistance, worldwide and locally.

Further advice: 

Hunter New England Local Health District

• Dr Rob Pickles (Director Immunology & Infectious Diseases)
• Dr Catherine Berry (District AMS Pharmacist from 2023)
• District AMS Pharmacist Bianca.Mills[at]health.nsw.gov.au>

On-call Immunology  &  Infectious Diseases consultant (via 49213000)

Pathology North 

• Dr Hema Varadhan (Director, Microbiology)
• Dr Alison Winning (Tweed Heads, Lismore)

On-call Medical Microbiologist, Pathology North (via 49214000)

Site editor

Dr John Ferguson (Infectious Diseases Physician and Microbiologist)