Prospective antimicrobial stewardship interventions by multidisciplinary teams to reduce neonatal antibiotic use in South Africa: the Neonatal Antimicrobial Stewardship (NeoAMS) study

A study in South Africa found that neonatalized neonates are vulnerable to infection and have high antibiotic usage rates. A 20-week NeoAMS intervention was implemented in 15 South African neonatal units, involving multidisciplinary teams including neonatologists, microbiologists, pharmacists, and nurses. The intervention significantly reduced antibiotic use, particularly for culture-negative sepsis, with a 24% decrease in antibiotic length of therapy. The program was successful in heterogeneous and resource-limited settings, with high rates of clinician acceptance.