Antimicrobial Resistance - Journal - October 2024

Review of Journal article: Limiting the Spread of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Low-to-Middle-Income Countries: One Size Does Not Fit All - PMC
 

 It was helpful to look at the issues related to the spread of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) and consider some of the practical ways in which we can apply this understanding in our healthcare services.  It was interesting to see the impact of basic measures like hand hygiene can have on the spread of MDRO’s when there is good compliance from all healthcare staff.

The WHO outlines this issue of anti-microbial resistance in their factsheet (Antimicrobial resistance (who.int)):

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats, with bacterial AMR responsible for around 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 deaths.
• The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens.
• AMR affects countries in all regions and income levels, but it’s management is often more difficult where there is also poverty and inequality.
• AMR puts many of the gains of modern medicine at risk; making infections harder to treat and medical procedures and treatments much riskier.
• Priorities to address AMR in human health include preventing all infections which may result in inappropriate antimicrobials use; ensuring universal access to quality diagnosis and appropriate treatment of infections; and strategic information and innovation, for example surveillance of AMR and antimicrobial consumption/use, and research and development for novel vaccines, diagnostics and medicines.

AAs discussed in our earlier meetings about hand hygiene, as ensuring good compliance with this across our facilities is an important and positive step in combatting antimicrobial resistance.  Other measures that can help are:

• Responsible prescription and use of antibiotics, and providing good education about this to our patients.
• Good care of wounds and chronic conditions to prevent infections.
• Promotion of immunisation within our communities.

No meeting recording available