Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is an important means to control bacterial resistance. The unique situation of intensive care unit (ICU) poses a challenge to AMS. This article reviews the literature on AMS in the ICU at home and abroad in recent years, and summarizes the related measures of AMS. Effective AMS measures in the ICU include setting up a multidisciplinary AMS team, using rapid microbial diagnosis technology to shorten the time of diagnosis, using non-culture methods to assess the necessity of antimicrobial therapy for patients with suspected sepsis, and evaluating the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy as early as possible and optimizing it. These initiatives aim to increase the rational use of antimicrobials in ICU, reduce the risk of multidrug-resistant infections, and improve patients’ condition.
In October 2022, thirteen government departments including the National Health Commission jointly issued the National Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance (2022-2025) to proactively address challenges of antimicrobial resistance. In support of the implementation of the National Action Plan in healthcare institutions, the authors put forward following suggestions for prevention and control measures: strengthen construction of supporting systems and disciplines, enhance prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, promote precision diagnosis and treatment through diagnostic stewardship, advance rational drug use by performing prescription review, carry out universal and targeted training, establish clinical decision support systems using information technology, improve monitoring and evaluation systems, and enhance multi-source data fusion and application.