Antibiotic Stewardship Course

Lesson 1 • Microbial Physiology Essentials

Reviews bacterial cell structure, growth kinetics, and metabolic diversity. Connects microbial biology to antibiotic target identification.

Lesson 2 • Spectrum of Activity Concepts

Defines narrow vs. broad-spectrum activity and empiric vs. definitive therapy. Prepares learners to match antibiotic choice to clinical context.

Lesson 3 • Antibiotic Classification and Mechanisms

Covers major antibiotic classes by target site and mechanism of action. Builds the pharmacological foundation needed for rational drug selection.

Lesson 1 • Clinically Important Resistant Organisms

Profiles priority resistant pathogens and their resistance profiles. Grounds abstract mechanisms in organisms encountered in clinical settings.

Lesson 2 • Genetic Basis of Resistance

Covers chromosomal mutations and mobile genetic elements that confer resistance. Links genetic mechanisms to clinical resistance patterns observed in practice.

Lesson 3 • Biochemical Resistance Mechanisms

Details enzymatic inactivation, target modification, and efflux pump activity. Explains why certain antibiotics fail against specific organisms.

Lesson 4 • Selective Pressure and Resistance Spread

Analyses how antibiotic use drives selective pressure and amplifies resistance. Establishes the ecological rationale for stewardship interventions.

Lesson 1 • Special Population Dosing Considerations

Addresses PK/PD alterations in critically ill, obese, paediatric, and elderly patients. Ensures dosing recommendations account for physiological variability.

Lesson 2 • Core Pharmacokinetic Parameters

Defines absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination for antibiotics. Provides the quantitative framework for understanding drug behaviour in the body.

Lesson 3 • Dosing Optimisation Strategies

Applies PK/PD targets to design optimised dosing regimens for key antibiotic classes. Directly supports stewardship goal of achieving cure while limiting toxicity.

Lesson 4 • Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Interpretation

Covers MIC testing methods, breakpoints, and clinical susceptibility categories. Enables accurate interpretation of laboratory susceptibility reports.

Lesson 1 • Rapid Diagnostic Technologies

Reviews point-of-care tests, rapid PCR panels, and mass spectrometry platforms. Demonstrates how rapid results enable earlier antibiotic de-escalation.

Lesson 2 • Interpreting Susceptibility Reports

Teaches systematic reading of culture and susceptibility reports for clinical decisions. Bridges laboratory output to actionable prescribing recommendations.

Lesson 3 • Specimen Collection and Processing

Covers proper specimen collection techniques and pre-analytical variables. Reduces errors that lead to false results and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Diagnostic Stewardship

Defines diagnostic stewardship and its relationship to antibiotic stewardship programmes. Establishes that test selection quality directly determines treatment quality.

Lesson 1 • IV-to-Oral Conversion Programmes

Establishes criteria and protocols for switching patients from intravenous to oral antibiotics. Reduces hospital stay duration, costs, and IV-related complications.

Lesson 2 • Antibiotic Stewardship Programme Structure

Outlines the essential components, leadership roles, and multidisciplinary team composition of a stewardship programme. Establishes the organisational framework for all interventions.

Lesson 3 • Prospective Audit and Feedback

Covers systematic review of antibiotic prescriptions with real-time clinician feedback. Demonstrates the most evidence-supported stewardship intervention for reducing inappropriate use.

Lesson 4 • De-escalation and Streamlining Therapy

Teaches narrowing antibiotic spectrum once culture results are available. Reduces collateral damage and resistance selection without compromising patient outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Respiratory Tract Infections

Covers antibiotic decision-making for community-acquired pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Addresses the high-volume syndromes most prone to antibiotic overuse.

Lesson 2 • Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Guides antibiotic selection for cellulitis, abscesses, and necrotising infections. Emphasises surgical source control as primary therapy where applicable.

Lesson 3 • Intra-abdominal and Surgical Infections

Covers antibiotic prophylaxis, empiric treatment, and duration for intra-abdominal infections. Reinforces source control primacy and avoidance of prolonged prophylaxis.

Lesson 4 • Bloodstream Infections and Sepsis

Addresses empiric antibiotic selection, source control, and de-escalation in bacteraemia and sepsis. Integrates stewardship with time-sensitive sepsis management bundles.

Lesson 1 • Reporting to Stakeholders

Teaches how to present stewardship data to clinical, administrative, and public health audiences. Translates metrics into actionable narratives that drive leadership support.

Lesson 2 • Antibiotic Utilisation Data Collection

Covers pharmacy dispensing data, electronic health record extraction, and manual audits. Ensures accurate and reproducible utilisation data for benchmarking.

Lesson 3 • Process and Outcome Metrics

Distinguishes process metrics from clinical and microbiological outcome measures. Establishes a balanced measurement framework for programme accountability.

Lesson 4 • Quality Improvement Methodology

Applies PDSA cycles, root cause analysis, and run charts to stewardship improvement projects. Embeds continuous improvement discipline into programme operations.

Lesson 1 • Needs Assessment and Programme Planning

Guides systematic assessment of institutional antibiotic use, resistance burden, and gaps. Produces a prioritised programme plan aligned with organisational capacity.

Lesson 2 • Sustaining Programmes Under Resource Constraints

Addresses strategies for maintaining stewardship activities with limited staffing and funding. Prioritises high-impact, low-resource interventions for resource-limited settings.

Lesson 3 • Building Multidisciplinary Coalitions

Develops strategies to engage physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and administrators as stewardship champions. Overcomes professional silos that impede programme adoption.

Lesson 4 • Expanding Stewardship Beyond Acute Care

Extends stewardship principles to long-term care, outpatient, and ambulatory settings. Addresses the unique prescribing challenges and intervention models in each setting.