Antimicrobial Resistance Management

The global threat that can’t be ignored

Since their introduction in early 20^th century, antibiotic drugs have greatly reduced illness and death to the benefit of human and animal health. Yet, particularly due to the misuse and over-prescription of antibiotics, many infectious organisms have adapted and become resistant to 1^st-line and even 2^nd-line antibiotics. A number of drug resistant organisms, including Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Campylobacter and Candida, show continually increasing levels of resistance. Some organisms are even resistant or becoming resistant to virtually all antibiotics, such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter. Antimicrobial resistant infections place a great burden on healthcare systems, veterinary practices and society in general, with wide-ranging impact from farms to public health¹:

• Treatment options are unavailable or limited; available antibiotics may be less effective, more expensive and sometimes harmful to patients
• Resistance means higher mortality risk, longer hospital stays, delayed recuperation, and sometimes long-term disability for patients
• Drug resistant organisms are behind many outbreaks of healthcare associated infection
• Rising resistance in humans has led to measures to restrict the use of certain antibiotics in the veterinary field, limiting therapeutic options.
• While the problem of antimicrobial resistant organisms is most acute in the healthcare setting, there is strong evidence that transmission is increasing in the community
• In addition, antimicrobial resistance is a serious problem in the field of livestock animal production and even in companion animals.

Health experts and agencies around the world agree: antimicrobial resistance is an urgent, global threat that can’t be ignored. The WHO says that “urgent action is required at the highest political level, globally and at country level”². The consequences of inaction are, as stated by the CDC, “potentially catastrophic”¹.

1. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, CDC 2013
2. Antibiotic resistance - a threat to global health security and the case for action, Side-event at the Sixty-sixth WHA, May 2013

Challenge: How to respond effectively?

In the fight against antimicrobial resistant organisms, healthcare providers, veterinarians and public health bodies must take a multi-pronged approach: prevention, treatment, outbreak management, tracking and education. To ensure you can respond effectively on every level, you need commitment from all those involved, complete and reliable information, and relevant, timely tools.

Prevention

• Infection control
  
  • Screening and active surveillance
  • Hygiene policy
• Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs
• Environmental control

Treatment

• Differentiation of bacterial from viral infection
• Informed decisions for relevant antibiotic use
  
  • Rapid tests
  • Reliable identification of bacteria
  • Antimicrobial resistance testing
• Flexible testing methods for different healthcare/veterinary situations
  
  • Easy to read and interpret results

Outbreak management & tracking

• Rapid detection of resistance mechanisms
• Complete epidemiological data tracking
• Good information flow

Education

• Collaborative action at the local, national and international levels
• Continuing education for healthcare professionals
• Accurate, easy-to-access patient education

Solution: Easy-to-implement, global solutions

The common thread among the various needs for effective antimicrobial resistance management is that you need easy-to implement global solutions for actionable results.

As both a pioneer and innovator in resistance detection and susceptibility testing, bioMérieux works closely with its healthcare partners to give you the solutions you need. We aim for the flexibility to meet different needs in different types of lab and healthcare settings. We value the integration of automation in the laboratory because it offers improved time-to-results and standardization; simpler reading and interpretation; faster information transmission; and better data tracking and management. Designed and continually improved through expert research and innovation, our instruments and reagents offer rapid, reliable, standardized results.

Solution: A partner you can trust

bioMérieux goes beyond bringing you best-in-class instruments and reagents specifically designed to meet the laboratory challenges posed by microbial resistant organisms. We actively foster collaboration, standing alongside international and national health organizations, policy-makers, healthcare facility and laboratory leaders and frontline medical professionals. We are a partner you can trust because our prime motivation is the same as yours: protecting and improving human health worldwide.

We believe in an integrated approach to health challenges. Our flagship campaign in the fight against antimicrobial resistant organisms is Be S.M.A.R.T. with Resistance™ .Along with a portfolio of microbiology solutions for prevention, tracking and screening, be S.M.A.R.T. initiatives include information, education and events related to the antimicrobial resistance threat. Some examples:

• The World Forum on Healthcare Associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance, the 4th edition held in June, 2013.
• Participation in Antibiotic Awareness Week and European Antibiotic Awareness Day annually
• The Be S.M.A.R.T. with Resistance™ newsletter
• Informational publications like A Practical Guide to Antimicrobial Stewardship in Hospitals and A Practical Guide for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections
• Educational partnership with leading associations such as French National Observatory for Epidemiology of Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobials (ONERBA)
• Grants and awards for young microbiologists – because tomorrow’s leaders in the field will help us improve responses to our greatest healthcare challenges like antimicrobial resistant organisms.