CDC warns of antibiotic overuse

Antibiotic overuse is a serious problem in hospitals and officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Hospital Association (AHA) are campaigning to help hospitals start antibiotic stewardship programs, according to HealthLeaders Media.

At an AHA Town Hall webcast last week, Arjun Srinivasan, MD, associate director for healthcare-associated infection prevention programs, said antibiotic overuse threatens patient safety. “We’re running out of antibiotics to treat common infections, and we’re not going to get new ones anytime soon,” he said.

The CDC estimates that annually patients are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains 2 million times per year, leading to 23,000 deaths. In addition, carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is now resistant to all first-line drugs. Antibiotic stewardship programs are designed to ensure that each patient receives the right drug at the right dose at the right time, Srinivasan said.

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