Antimicrobial resistance in clinics, hospitals and at homeFebruary 17, 2009Part one of a six-part CMAJ series Antibiotic resistance and the rise of illnesses that cannot be treated easily because of drug resistance is a health concern around the world. CMAJ launches a 6-part series on antibiotic resistance to provide practical treatment guidelines for practicing doctors to manage resistant microbes in 3 settings: the hospital, clinic and home. The current issue features 3 articles on the topic. An analysis by Dr. David Patrick from the BC Centre for Disease Control and Dr. Jim Hutchinson contains practical guidelines for clinicians to help reduce antibiotic exposure http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg416.pdf. "Our collective prescriptions constitute an ecological problem that may reduce the success of future therapy," write Dr. Patrick and coauthor. They point out that changes to drug formularies at the institutional level and in reimbursements from provincial drug plans result in the biggest shifts in antibiotic use. A review by Dr. Andrew Simor at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and researchers from the Public Health Agency of Canada focuses on antimicrobial resistance in hospitals, the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, transmission of these organisms and the impact of antimicrobial resistance http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg408.pdf. They note that enhanced monitoring, hand washing hygiene and other infection prevention control measures may help limit the increase of antibiotic resistance in Canada. A commentary http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg371.pdf. by Canadian public health and infectious disease professionals underscores the point that the management of resistant microbes needs an understanding of the ecological balance between the human and microbial world. "Balancing harm from antimicrobial-resistant organisms and optimal antimicrobial use requires knowledge of local antimicrobial-resistance patterns, thoughtful prescribing in conjunction with the effective use of basic infection control practices, and a firm understanding of the delicate ecological balance in which we co-exist with the microbial world," conclude Dr. Lindsay Nicolle and coauthors. Canadian Medical Association Journal |
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| Related Antibiotic Resistance Current Events and Antibiotic Resistance News Articles Study reveals why certain drug combinations backfire Combination drug therapy has become a staple for treating many infections. For instance, doctors treat extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis with one drug that breaks down the pathogen's protective barriers and opens the door for another to deliver the deathblow. U.S. and European Experts Applaud Creation of New Transatlantic Task Force on Global Antibiotic Resistance Threat Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide. Misuse of antibiotics not the only cause of resistance says report The perception that antibiotic resistance is primarily the undesirable consequence of antibiotic abuse or misuse is a view that is simplistic and inaccurate. McMaster researchers discover a new antibacterial lead Antibiotic resistance has been a significant problem for hospitals and health-care facilities for more than a decade. But despite the need for new treatment options, there have been only two new classes of antibiotics developed in the last 40 years. Man-made crises 'outrunning our ability to deal with them,' scientists warn The world faces a compounding series of crises driven by human activity, which existing governments and institutions are increasingly powerless to cope with, a group of eminent environmental scientists and economists has warned. Genes key to staph disease severity, drug resistance found hitchhiking together Scientists studying Staphylococcus bacteria, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), have discovered a potent staph toxin responsible for disease severity. Resistance to antibiotics: When 1+1 is not 2 The evolution of multiple antibiotic resistances is a global and difficult problem to eradicate. Ultrasensitive detector promises improved treatment of viral respiratory infections A Vanderbilt chemist and a biomedical engineer have teamed up to develop a respiratory virus detector that is sensitive enough to detect an infection at an early stage, takes only a few minutes to return a result and is simple enough to be performed in a pediatrician's office. Antibiotic prescribing should be standardized across Europe to help tackle resistance Antibiotic prescribing for respiratory illnesses should be standardised across Europe to help reduce inappropriate prescribing and resistance. Plant Microbe Shares Features with Drug-Resistant Pathogen An international team of scientists has discovered extensive similarities between a strain of bacteria commonly associated with plants and one increasingly linked to opportunistic infections in hospital patients. More Antibiotic Resistance Current Events and Antibiotic Resistance News Articles |
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