What is Australia doing to fight The First Australian Report on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance AMR? in Human Health In Australia, laboratories and surveillance The Commission has released the First programs detect and monitor AMR. Australian Report on Antimicrobial Use and Hospitals, residential aged-care facilities Resistance in Human Health (AURA 2016) AURA Surveillance System and some parts of the community use audit using data from the AURA Surveillance program partners tools and systems to monitor antimicrobial System.a Australian Group on Antimicrobial use and its appropriateness. While these Resistance programs provide valuable surveillance AURA 2016 focuses on resistance rates for organisms that have been identified as data, a nationally coordinated approach National Centre for Antimicrobial priority organisms in Australia. If these Stewardship: National Antimicrobial was needed so that policy makers could organisms develop high resistance to the Prescribing Survey see a clearer picture. The AURA it is likely that there ‘last-line’ antimicrobials, Surveillance System, and the South Australia Health National will be significant increases in morbidity and Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance work more broadly, supports Commission’s mortality rates. Program a number of the objectives of the National Of the priority organisms, one of the Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy National Neisseria Network Enterococcus species is most resistant to National Notifiable Diseases antimicrobials. Enterococcus species are Surveillance System opportunistic pathogens that cause a range The Commission has been working with a NPS MedicineWise MedicineInsight of infections in patients whose immune range of partners to expand coverage by Program system is already compromised due to increasing the number of hospitals and surgery or invasive devices. Australian Government Pharmaceutical laboratories that contribute data. It is also Benefits Scheme and Repatriation The proportion of Enterococcus faecium working to enhance analysis and reporting Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme strains that are resistant to the antimicrobial to system users, and will establish new Queensland Health OrgTRx system vancomycin is almost 50% one of the – systems where information gaps need to be highest rates in the world. Resistance to Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Brisbane filled. ampicillin was even higher in this species, Mater Misericordiae Health Services, at about 90% (see Figure 11). Brisbane These resistances have a major impact on States and territories. seriously ill patients in hospital and require significant efforts and investment of
What is Australia doing to fight AMR? In Australia, laboratories and surveillance programs detect and monitor AMR. Hospitals, residential aged-care facilities and some parts of the community use audit tools and systems to monitor antimicrobial use and its appropriateness. While these programs provide valuable surveillance data, a nationally coordinated approach was needed so that policy makers could see a clearer picture. The AURA Surveillance System, and the Commission’s work more broadly, supports a number of the objectives of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy The Commission has been working with a range of partners to expand coverage by increasing the number of hospitals and laboratories that contribute data. It is also working to enhance analysis and reporting to system users, and will establish new systems where information gaps need to be filled. AURA Surveillance System program partners Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship: National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey South Australia Health National Antimicrobial Utilisation Surveillance Program National Neisseria Network National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System NPS MedicineWise MedicineInsight Program Australian Government Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Queensland Health OrgTRx system Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Brisbane Mater Misericordiae Health Services, Brisbane States and territories. The First Australian Report on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Human Health The Commission has released the First Australian Report on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Human Health (AURA 2016) using data from the AURA Surveillance System.a AURA 2016 focuses on resistance rates for organisms that have been identified as priority organisms in Australia. If these organisms develop high resistance to the ‘last-line’ antimicrobials, it is likely that there will be significant increases in morbidity and mortality rates. Of the priority organisms, one of the Enterococcus species is most resistant to antimicrobials. Enterococcus species are opportunistic pathogens that cause a range of infections in patients whose immune system is already compromised due to surgery or invasive devices. The proportion of Enterococcus faecium strains that are resistant to the antimicrobial vancomycin is almost 50% – one of the highest rates in the world. Resistance to ampicillin was even higher in this species, at about 90% (see Figure 11). These resistances have a major impact on seriously ill patients in hospital and require significant efforts and investment of
Vital-Signs-2016-WORD.docx