Special Issue Article
Nada Alsaleh
Abstract
In the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in the proportion of bacterial organisms resistant to multiple antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrobial resistance is currently considered as an emergent global disease and a major public health problem. There is a a high prevalence of resistant and MDR bacteria such as A.baumannii,ESBL-producing K. pneumonia , ESBL-producing E.coli, ESBL-producing P. Aeruginosa. Pharmaceutical companies, on the other side, find it difficult to keep up with the rising resistance for many reasons. Antimicrobials are normally administered for a limited duration making them less profitable than drugs used to treat long term conditions. In addition, newly approved drugs are immediately prescribed, while new antimicrobials are reserved and only prescribed for infections that are resistant to the established antimicrobials. Antimicrobial use is the most significant driver behind the development of antimicrobial resistance Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between antimicrobial use and the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms at the community and hospital levels. Infections caused by resistant bacteria may be difficult to treat or even untreatable .These infections prolong patients’ hospitalizations, increase the cost of care, and increase mortality. The aim of this research is to assess carbapenems and piperacillin-tazobactam prescribing compared with a standard treatment guideline and identify strategies to improve rational prescribing of antimicrobials.