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Once largely consigned to separate silos, infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship are starting to show signs of a powerful partnership. The CDC’s most recent update on the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria emphasizes that drug stewardship and infection control must essentially be inseparable if they are going to be successful.
Trying to get a literal picture of the prevalence and geographic distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the U.S., the CDC has created an electronic, interactive map that can be accessed on the Web or through a mobile app. The Antibiotic Resistance Patient Safety Atlas reports the percentage of various healthcare-associated infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
While the widespread overuse and misuse of antibiotics is frequently cited in discussions of increasing bacterial resistance, there are instances where even correct use for an individual patient raises the question of potential harm to others. A prevailing paradox in antibiotic therapy is that what is good for the one may be bad for the many.
As infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology continue to undergo a dramatic transformation in duties and responsibilities, resources and program support are lagging in many hospitals even as a Zika virus outbreak follows closely on the heels of Ebola.
As confirmed cases of the Zika virus disease continue to mount in the United States, frontline providers are scrambling to ensure that appropriate patients are screened for the illness, and to minimize the risk of transmission, especially to pregnant women.
As this issue went to press, the CDC confirmed that a patient admitted to Emory University Hospital’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit has Lassa fever, a hemorrhagic virus endemic in parts of West Africa.
Financial Disclosure: Senior Writer Gary Evans, Associate Managing Editor Dana Spector and Nurse Planner Kay Ball report no consultant, stockholder, speaker’s bureau, research, or other financial relationships with companies having ties to this field of study. Consulting Editor Patrick Joseph, MD, is laboratory director of Genomic Health Inc, CareDx Clinical Laboratory, and Siemens Clinical Laboratory.
