Antibiotic prescribing: How can emergence of antibiotic resistance be delayed?

Abstract

The discovery of new antibiotic drugs has slowed significantly and widespread use of current antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of many multi-resistant bacterial pathogens. In order to preserve the activity of currently available antibiotics for as long as possible, care should be taken to only prescribe them when an infection is serious and is likely to respond significantly to treatment. Judicious prescribing will reduce the selective pressure on bacteria and thereby slow down the emergence of resistance. In the future, prevention through immunisation and reducing the spread of infection (infection control) will assume greater importance as a way of sidestepping the interplay of antibiotic use and bacterial resistance. It is particularly important to avoid empirical use of antibiotics for most patients with upper respiratory infections.