Antimicrobial Resistance

CARP—the Chicago Antimicrobial Resistance Project

CARP was a 5 year project started in 1998 and led by Dr. Robert Weinstein, Chairman of the Division of Infectious Disease at John H Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County, aimed to create a sustained culture of responsible antibiotic use and hospital hygiene through a system-wide, multifaceted approach. The project studied the control of antimicrobial resistance in an integrated health care delivery system comprised of four institutions, including an inner-city public hospital, a community hospital, a long-term care facility, and a tertiary-care university hospital. Although the outcomes of the project are still in evaluation, its goals included:

  • Reducing the selection of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens by designing and implementing interventions that will reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing through improved clinician access to relevant prescribing information and expert-level consultation, and through improved oversight of the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics strongly associated with the emergence of resistance;
  • Ensuring uniformity, accuracy and maximal efficiency among the study institutions microbiology laboratories in specimen processing, reporting of results, the detection of antimicrobial resistance and the measurement of prevalence; and
  • Reducing the transmission of drug-resistant pathogens by improving infection control practices.