Becker's Hospital Review

32 ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP Join us in the war against antibiotic resistance, say HHS, CDC heads By Mackenzie Bean T he United States is leading global public health efforts to address the threat of antibiotic resistance, but Americans must also do their part, HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CDC Director Rob- ert Redfield, MD, wrote in an op-ed for STAT. The leaders say federal efforts to combat anti- biotic resistance show some progress. Deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections have fallen 18 percent since 2013, according to the CDC's 2019 AR Threats Report. However, new antibiotic resistance threats are "con- stantly emerging," and more work needs to be done, according to Mr. Azar and Dr. Redfield. "The U.S. will take swift public health action to save lives, but everyone must join us in waging this war," they wrote. "Use antibiotics only as your doctor or veterinarian prescribes. Keep your hands clean, cover wounds, and get recommended vaccines with confidence. Prepare food safely. Use safe sex practices." n 1 in 5 older adults take leftover antibiotics, survey finds By Mackenzie Bean M any older patients do not take antibiotics as pre- scribed or understand the appropriate uses for them, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging. For the survey, researchers from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation in Ann Arbor polled 2,256 adults ages 50 to 80 on their perceptions about the overuse of tests and medications, including antibiotics. Five survey findings: 1. Eighty-nine percent of respondents understood that the overuse of antibiotics causes resistance. 2. However, 34 percent incorrectly assumed that antibiotics would help them recover from a cold or the flu sooner. 3. Thirteen percent of respondents reported having leftover antibiotics in the last two years, contradicting common medi- cal instructions to take the full course of pills. 4. Nineteen percent of respondents admitted to taking antibi- otics without consulting a medical professional. 5. Fifty-six percent said they thought physicians overpre- scribed antibiotics, while 23 percent said physicians didn't prescribe them when they should've. n 35,000 people die from drug- resistant infections annually, CDC says By Mackenzie Bean M ore than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur annually in the U.S., according to the CDC's 2019 Anti- biotic Resistance Threats report published Nov. 13. The report offers updated estimates on the incidence and mortality of drug-resistant infections from the agency's original findings in 2013. The 2019 report estimates that more than 35,000 people die from drug-resistant infections every year. The CDC noted deaths linked to antibiotic resistance have decreased since 2013, when an estimated 44,000 occurred, which suggests that hospitals' prevention efforts are working. However, the incidence of drug-resistant infections is still high. In 2017, about 223,900 people required hospitalization for Clostrid- ioides difficile infections nationwide, and 12,800 cases were fatal. n Fecal transplants more effective C. diff treatment than antibiotics, study finds By Gabrielle Masson F ecal transplant treatment for patients with re- current Clostridioides difficile is more effective and more likely to prevent bloodstream infec- tions than antibiotics, according to a study published Nov. 5 in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed 290 inpatients with recurrent C. difficile infections at an academic medical center in a cohort study. Of the 109 patients treated with fecal transplant, 4.5 percent developed bloodstream infec- tions, while 22 percent of the 181 patients receiving antibiotics developed bloodstream infections. Patients receiving fecal transplants had a 23 per- cent lower bloodstream infection risk, along with 14 fewer days of hospitalization compared to the antibiotic group. n

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