The Global Point Prevalence Survey is designed to evaluate the use of antimicrobials in human hospitals and in outpatient settings. And yet, a recent study illustrated how this tool can be adapted for use in equine hospitals as well. This is of great value in studying the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine.

Researchers specifically gathered information on the use of antibiotics in eight equine hospitals in six countries. Using the Global-PPS, they studied factors such as dosages and duration of treatment, but also gained insights into the reasons for and quality of antibiotic prescriptions.

The surveys revealed that 40% of all the horses were receiving antibiotics. Nearly half of the prescriptions were prophylactic. Both prophylactic and empiric prescriptions  included types of antibiotics that, according to the European Medicines Agency, should be avoided or restricted to targeted use.  Researchers also evaluated whether bacterial cultures (taken to identify the type of infection) were performed prior to treatment and whether a date to stop or review these treatments was recorded in the patient’s file.

Such information helps to identify areas for improvement in prescription practices such as high rates of prophylactic antibiotic use. This way, the Global-PPS acts as a practical tool to help clinics monitor and refine their approach over time.

The application of the Global-PPS to veterinary medicine operationalises One Health (the concept that human health, animal health and environmental health are linked) by knowledge sharing between the human health and veterinary health sectors. This approach should contribute to improved collective understanding of AMR with the ultimate aim of facilitating mitigation of AMR across all health sectors.

👉Read the full article online: Use of a point prevalence survey to measure antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in equine veterinary hospitals