Healthcare professionals gather to explore research against drug-resistant bacteria

A workshop hosted by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America assembled in Baltimore, Md., this week to address the overuse of antimicrobials and to determine the best course for combating drug-resistant bacteria.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Research Workshop was based on the genuine threat of antibiotic resistance, which leads to at least 23,000 deaths each year and costs the U.S. healthcare system more than $20 billion. Stewardship, proponents said, will help guarantee patients get the right antibiotics for the right issue over the right period. After all, overexposure can increase antibiotic resistance.

“Antimicrobial stewardship programs are some of the best defenses we have to combat antibiotic resistance,” Workshop co-chair Jeffrey Gerber said “But there are still many gaps in our knowledge, particularly in how best to implement these programs effectively across healthcare settings. Making research a priority is key to ensuring we have the most effective programs available in all healthcare settings for future generations.”

Attendees at the workshop included physicians, pharmacists, and trainees in the field. Throughout the two-day conference, they addressed investigative standards for designing, implementing, disseminating, and assessing programs based on research. A grant from Merck & Co supported the workshop.