Antimicrobial use in long-term-care facilities

There is intense antimicrobial use in long-term-care facilities (LTCFs), an d studies repeatedly document that much of this use is inappropriate. The c urrent crisis in antimicrobial resistance, which encompasses the LTCF, heig htens concerns of antimicrobial use. Attempts to improve antimicrobial use in the LTCF are complicated by characteristics of the patient population, l imited availability of diagnostic tests, and the virtual absence of relevan t clinical trials. This position paper recommends approaches to management of common infections in LTCF patients and proposes minimal standards for an antimicrobial review program. In developing these recommendations, the pos ition paper acknowledges the unique aspects of provision of care in the LTC F (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2000;21:537-545).