The importance of antibiotic treatment duration in antimicrobial resistance.
Antonio VitielloMichela SabbatucciAntonio SalzanoAndrea ZoviPublished in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology (2024)
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, leading to increased deaths from drug-resistant infections and escalates healthcare costs. Often termed a "silent pandemic," AMR occurs when pathogens become resistant to antimicrobial drugs, enabling their proliferation and spread. Inappropriate antibiotic usage is a major contributor to this phenomenon, which also extends to fungal infections. In particular, the duration of antibiotic therapy is a crucial aspect, with evidence suggesting that prolonged use can heighten bacterial resistance and harm the human microbiota. In fact, studies comparing short-term versus long-term antibiotic therapies show no significant difference in traditional treatments. In addition, therapeutic drug monitoring allows personalized antibiotic regimens, optimizing dosage and duration to minimize resistance and adverse effects. As a result, clinicians should regularly reassess treatment effectiveness, utilizing techniques like antibiotic timeout and de-escalation therapy to avoid prolonged antibiotic use and mitigate resistance. All these strategies are crucial to prevent and counter the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance.
Keyphrases
- antimicrobial resistance
- drug resistant
- healthcare
- global health
- multidrug resistant
- endothelial cells
- randomized controlled trial
- sars cov
- public health
- clinical trial
- systematic review
- signaling pathway
- palliative care
- stem cells
- staphylococcus aureus
- acinetobacter baumannii
- mesenchymal stem cells
- cell therapy
- study protocol
- health information
- case control