Antimicrobial Resistance: Community and Hospital

ABSTRACT

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increases the morbidity, mortality and costs of treating infectious diseases. (Hawkey and Jones, 2009)1. The threat from resistant organisms is now a global problem, both in the hospital and to some extent in the community. The key drivers are medical care complexity; widespread antimicrobial use in animal husbandry; antimicrobial contaminated food distribution; international travel, and food distribution of food contaminated with multidrug resistant organism. Strategies for infection control are good understanding of what needs to be done, consistent application of infection control measures, use of “search and destroy” techniques; and effective antimicrobial stewardship. This paper reviews the current issues and potential solutions.