Category: Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Use (Stewardship)

Combating Antimicrobial Resistance in Argentina: Legislation for the Future

Pictured left to right: Analía Mykietiuk (President of the Argentine Society of Infectious Diseases , Carla Vizzotti (Minister of Health), Rachel Smith (CDC), and Laura Barcelona (Director, CoNaCRA)

Argentina’s Ministry of Health is implementing the first legislation in South America using a One Health framework to combat antimicrobial resistance (AR), representing Argentina’s commitment to combating AR. Argentina is also participating in CDC’s Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) to strengthen the capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to AR. History and Development of Read More >

Posted on by Guest Authors: Laura Barcelona, Lauren Dempsey, Rachel SmithLeave a commentTags , ,

Antibiotic Stewardship when an Allergy Label is Present Improves Our Antibiotic Care and Treatment Outcomes

Did You Know? Although 10% of the population in the U.S. reports a penicillin allergy, less than 1% of the population is truly penicillin allergic. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are often used as an alternative to penicillins. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in patients labeled “penicillin-allergic” is associated with higher healthcare costs, increased risk for antimicrobial resistance, Read More >

Posted on by Guest Author: Cosby Stone, Jr. MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonology, and Critical Care Medicine within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center2 CommentsTags , , , , ,

Ethiopian Hospitals Use Infection Prevention and Control Practices to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Two hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are demonstrating that even when access to resources is limited, commitment to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices makes combating antimicrobial resistance (AR) possible. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria can cause severe, hard-to-treat infections. They were associated with almost 5 million deaths worldwide in 2019. IPC practices such as proper hand hygiene, Read More >

Posted on by Guest authors: Sophie Jones and Elizabeth Soda4 CommentsTags , , ,

Implementing Infection Prevention and Control Measures Reduces CRE in Vietnam

Vietnam has adapted established infection prevention and control (IPC) measures for limited-resource settings to help stop the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), identified as an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat in CDC’s 2019 AR Threats Report. A CDC-supported initiative at The University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) in Vietnam that used IPC quality Read More >

Posted on by Amber Vasquez, MD, MPH2 CommentsTags ,

Germs Lead the Way: Exploring Microbial Ecology to Elevate the Fight Against Antimicrobial-resistant Healthcare-associated Infections

healthy biome

Three to four billion years ago, microbes (germs) were the first life on earth. They have thrived for millions of years longer than humans have existed. Much like humans, microbes have complex social and physical communities and are always evolving. These microbial communities are home to helpful germs and pathogens (harmful germs). Better understanding the Read More >

Posted on by Melia Haile, Christopher Elkins, Cliff McDonald, Alison Laufer Halpin, Mihnea Mangalea, and Lacey Avery6 CommentsTags , , , , ,