The use of phages for treating bacterial pathogens has recently been advocated as an alternative to antibiotic therapy. Here, we test a hypothesis that bacteria treated with phages may show more limited evolution of antibiotic resistance as the fitness costs of resistance to phages may add to those of antibiotic resistance, further reducing the growth performance of antibiotic-resistant bacteri...

Remarkable shifts in antibiotic resistance have occurred in many important human pathogens over the last decade and a half. While some resistance types have declined in prevalence, others have accumulated sharply over the same timeframe. The implications for antibiotic therapy are significant and worrisome; infections due to multi-resistant strains are more difficult to treat and are not covere...

OBJECTIVES In France, the public reporting of antibiotic policies in hospitals has been mandatory since 2007. Consequently, all hospitals provide to the Ministry of Health an annual follow-up of antibiotic policy. This study aimed at identifying antibiotic policy measures related to a lower antibiotic consumption. METHODS Data on antibiotic policy were extracted from the 2007 infection contro...

6 The large reservoir of antibiotic resistant bacteria in raw and treated water supplies is a matter of public health concern. Currently, the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems, a collaborative effort of the Centers for Disease Control, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US Food and Drug Administration, does not monitor antimicrobial resistance in surface waters. Given ...

BACKGROUND Antibiotic use may be associated with higher breast cancer risk and breast cancer mortality, but no study has evaluated the relation between antibiotic use and second breast cancer events (SBCE). METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study among women ≥18 years, diagnosed with incident stage I/II breast cancer during 1990-2008. Antibiotic use and covariates were obtained from...

BACKGROUND Antibiotic surveillance is mandatory to optimise antibiotic therapy. Our objectives were to evaluate antibiotic use in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and to implement a simple achievable intervention aimed at improving antibiotic therapy. METHOD Prospective, 3 months surveillance of antibiotic use on PICU (phase I) and evaluation according to the CDC 12-step campaign with...

OBJECTIVES Guidelines to treat acute otitis media (AOM) were published in 2004. Initial declines in prescribing were shown, but it's unknown if they were sustained. We examine trends in antibiotic dispensing patterns to treat AOM among a large population of children. We also document trends in antibiotic failure. STUDY DESIGN Children aged 3 months to 12 years with an AOM diagnosis, enrolled ...

BACKGROUND Antibiotic resistance is a rising problem in Malaysia. For instance, high antibiotic prescribing rate for upper respiratory tract infection and inappropriate choice of antibiotic is a significant healthcare concern in Malaysia. Our main objective was to study knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotic prescribing among medical officers in Kedah, Malaysia. METHODS A cross sectio...

INTRODUCTION The common occurrence of infectious diseases in nursing homes and residential care facilities may result in substantial antibiotic use, and consequently antibiotic resistance. Focusing on these settings, this article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature available on antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance, and strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance. METHOD...

BACKGROUND Antibiotic homogeneity is thought to drive resistance but in vivo data are lacking. In this study, we determined the impact of antibiotic homogeneity per se, and of cefepime versus antipseudomonal penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (APP-β), on the likelihood of infection or colonisation with antibiotic resistant bacteria and/or two commonly resistant nosocomial pathogens (...