Nebraska NHSN Antibiotic Use and Resistance Reporting: Implementation Progress and Updates

The CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Module helps healthcare facilities track and analyze antibiotic use and resistance data.

How many hospitals in Nebraska are reporting data?

The number of Nebraska hospitals reporting data to the antibiotic use module has rapidly increased over the last two years, increasing from 14% in 2022 to 61% of eligible hospitals reporting at least one month of data to the AU module in 2024.

Nebraska critical access hospitals have been the fastest growing group of reporting hospitals, with 50% now submitting data to the antibiotic use module and 35% submitting data to the antibiotic resistance module.

What are the key benefits of reporting AUR data?

Reporting antibiotic use and resistance data to NHSN offers multiple benefits for healthcare facilities, enabling them to optimize antibiotic stewardship, enhance infection prevention and control efforts, and improve patient outcomes.

What do the antibiotic use data show?

Nationwide, 42% of adult hospitals are using antibiotics at a higher rate than predicted based on the risk-adjusted benchmarks set by NHSN in 2023. Nebraska was comparable to the rest of the nation, with 40% of adult hospitals reporting higher antibiotic use than predicted in 2023.

This suggests that there are opportunities to strengthen antibiotic stewardship efforts in Nebraska!

Inpatient Antibiotic Use | A.R. & Patient Safety Portal

How can hospitals collaborate with Nebraska ASAP to improve antibiotic use?

• ASAP can assist with antimicrobial stewardship program development and alignment with CDC Core Elements and Priorities. Hospitals can conduct a self-assessment of their current antibiotic stewardship practices using this survey: Baseline ASP Assessment for ACH
• ASAP ID pharmacists and ID physicians can assist with interpretation of antimicrobial use and resistance module data. Use this form to Ask ASAP a question: Contact Us – ASAP
• Visit the Nebraska ASAP website – numerous resources for acute care, outpatient, and long-term care facilities Home – Nebraska ASAP Website
• Visit the Nebraska ICAP & ASAP YouTube channel for educational videos on antimicrobial stewardship Nebraska ICAP & ASAP – YouTube
• Attend the Annual Nebraska Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit – Save the Date for May 30, 2025!
• ASAP services are offered at no cost to facilities thanks to CDC grant funding

Written by Jenna Preusker, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP
Nebraska ASAP Pharmacy Coordinator