Understanding antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship in wound management

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global concern in healthcare, facilitated
by a lack of newly developed antibiotics and an over reliance on those that are readily available to treat and manage infections. The appropriate use of antibiotics is vital to preventing AMR and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is central to ensuing clinicians have the knowledge to understand when to use antibiotics appropriately.This is particularly important in wound care, where multidisciplinary working is common, necessitated by variations in the complexity and variation of wound care. Whilst healthcare organisations may work in isolation, shared education, training and understanding, as well as shared decision making around AMR policies and procedures is fundamental to ensuring the impact of antimicrobial resistance is reduced and to understand the most appropriate and sustainable method of appropriate wound management.