There’s a new study in the Lancet today. The takeaway:
Strategies to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing can result in short-term reductions in resistance; however, these strategies alone might be insufficient to prevent the increase in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic prescribing in health care has been the mainstay of antibiotic stewardship, but this is only one component of the stewardship landscape. It is becoming clearer that a leading cause of the unhindered spread of resistance, despite decreases in antibiotic prescribing, is transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. It is therefore important to consider the impact of resistance genes and the ways in which they are introduced into the population. Thus, it is discernible that a more radical, multi-sectorial approach, such as surveillance of resistance genes, is urgently needed to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance…