Editorial: Treatment Algorithms for Staphylococcal Bacteremia: Improving Clinical Care and Enhancing Antimicrobial Stewardship

Authors: Eli N. Perencevich, MD, MS; Preeti N. Malani, MD, MS

Journal: JAMA. 2018 Sep 25;320(12):1243-1244.

Excerpt:
Antimicrobial resistance is among the most important threats to human health.1 Lost in the episodic outbreaks of emerging pathogens such as 2009 H1N1 influenza, Ebola, and Zika virus has been the steady increase in resistance to commonly used antibiotics in frequently seen bacterial infections. Confronting antimicrobial resistance requires investment in 3 critical areas including (1) antimicrobial discovery, (2) rapid diagnostics, and (3) infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship. In particular, algorithms based on clinical practice guidelines, that promote appropriate antibiotics and durations of therapy and limit unnecessary treatment, have the potential to enhance care for individual patients and improve public health more broadly.

Link to journal online: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2703302