Antibiotic resistance, responsible for more than 23,000 deaths per year in the U.S., is the theme of International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), October 15-21. It is hosted annually by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).  IIPW puts the spotlight on the importance of infection prevention and actions that the public and the healthcare community can take to reduce the threat of antibiotic resistance.

"Antibiotic use is the most important factor leading to antibiotic resistance worldwide,” said 2017 APIC President Linda Greene, RN, MPS, CIC, FAPIC. “It is critical that everyone understand their role in preserving the effectiveness of these lifesaving medications.”

APIC has created a new ABCs of Prescribing Antibiotics infographic for healthcare professionals that distills key actions necessary to curb inappropriate use. The new flyer complements the ABCs of Antibiotics for patients and families, released by APIC in 2014. Providers are urged to consider if antibiotics are necessary, select the appropriate treatment, and not give in to pressure from patients who expect a prescription.

"Preventing infection is the first step to halting antibiotic resistance and is why we chose to focus on this issue during IIPW,” said Katrina Crist, MBA, CAE, CEO of APIC. “We are grateful to the numerous corporate champions and association partners who have joined with APIC to spread these important patient safety messages." 

APIC will be hosting a Twitter chat with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, October 17 at 2 p.m. ET. The conversation will focus on antibiotic resistance and the importance of preserving antibiotics. The hashtag for the chat is #IIPWChat.

APIC’s Thunderclap campaign, also promoting these health messages, launches Wednesday, October 18 at 12 p.m. ET. Donate a Tweet or Facebook post prior to then, and the message will be shared simultaneously online.