Burden of antimicrobial resistance in an era of decreasing susceptibility

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2017 Jul;15(7):663-676. doi: 10.1080/14787210.2017.1337508. Epub 2017 Jun 13.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance has become a global problem. Many pathogens are becoming multidrug-resistant with the attendant increased risk of failure of standard therapies and the under-recognised outcomes such as increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospitalization and costs of treatment. Areas covered: We undertook a review of the literature using standard search engines including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and internet sources. Key search terms included antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic resistance, bacterial resistance, clinical outcomes, economic consequences, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Expert commentary: Antimicrobial resistance among the five-species presented demonstrates a major, and increasing, deleterious impact seen in each of the key outcomes measured. These negative changes, at a personal, health system and Societal levels, further emphasise the growing problem of increasing antimicrobial resistance at a global level and the vital need for new antimicrobials.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; economic costs; length of hospital stay; mortality.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / economics
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Infections / economics
  • Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Bacterial Infections / mortality*
  • Bacterial Infections / pathology
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Health Care Costs
  • Hospitalization / trends
  • Humans

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents