Minimising antibiotic resistance

Livermore, David M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9856-3703 (2005) Minimising antibiotic resistance. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 5 (7). pp. 450-459. ISSN 1473-3099

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Abstract

The problems associated with antibiotic resistance have led to several agency and governmental reports since 1998, along with many sets of usage guidelines. These documents stress the desirability of reducing antimicrobial prescribing, which has subsequently fallen in several countries, including the UK. However, the evidence for any contingent reduction in resistance is scanty, and several pathogens--notably Escherichia coli--are becoming markedly more resistant. Thus, rather than being overly optimistic about the benefits of reducing antimicrobial prescriptions, we must also emphasise the use of those antibiotics that prove less prone to select resistance. Furthermore, we must be careful that guidelines are not so narrow as to rail-road prescribing and its contingent selection pressure in single directions--as happened with gonorrhoea--and to consider the likelihood that limited diverse prescribing may have the least detrimental effect upon the resistance ecology. Last, there is a need to re-invigorate antimicrobial development, which has been downgraded by many major pharmaceutical houses.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: anti-bacterial agents,bacterial infections,drug resistance, bacterial,drug utilization,humans,physician's practice patterns,practice guidelines as topic
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 24 Jan 2014 12:34
Last Modified: 24 Oct 2022 05:46
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/46733
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(05)70166-3

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