Emergency medicine pharmacists play a significant role in tailoring antimicrobial therapy ensuring adequate coverage in complex patient populations. The research goal of this project is to conduct real-time antimicrobial resistance surveillance for patients presenting to the ED with uncomplicated/complicated cystitis or pyelonephritis. Providing real-time antimicrobial resistance data will improve antimicrobial prescribing and allow for the creation of local ED antibiograms.
A critical evidence gap is to understand the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among patients presenting to the ED with urinary tract infections (UTI) compared to those reflected by hospital antibiograms and large surveillance networks (e.g., CDC). Our overall goal is to describe national antimicrobial resistance rates and their geographic variability among ED patients with acute pyelonephritis across a broad US network of hospitals. This research network will serve to inform treatment decision making and antimicrobial section by using continual data collection and reporting new antimicrobial susceptibility. The impact of this project will be twofold. First, determining local, institution-specific antimicrobial resistance rates in EDs across the US will allow clinicians to accurately prescribe empiric antimicrobial therapy for acute pyelonephritis. Second, creating local ED-specific antibiograms with frequent data updates will improve identification of antimicrobial resistance changes over time.