Global Point Prevalence Surveyは、ヒトの病院や外来での抗菌薬使用を評価するために設計されている。しかし、最近の研究では、このツールが馬の病院でも使用できることが示された。これは、獣医療における抗菌薬耐性の増大という問題を研究する上で大きな価値がある。.

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