The Threat of Antibiotic Resistance - CDC video

This animated video highlights the key points and graphics of the CDC report Antibiotic Threats in the United States, 2013.



For example, gonorrhea is getting harder to treat and antibiotic resistance is pushing Neisseria gonorrhoeae toward superbug status.

The current drugs of choice, ceftriaxone and cefixime, are still very effective but there are signs that resistance, particularly to cefixime, is emerging and soon these drugs may not be a good choice.

Only one remaining class of antibiotics is recommended for the treatment of gonorrhea - cephalosporins. Historically, gonorrhea has progressively developed resistance to the antibiotic drugs prescribed to treat it. Thus, it is critical to continuously monitor antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

As a side note that highlights the prevalence of the problem, there are more than 20 songs (and 3 albums) titled "Gonorrhea" by various artists in the Amazon.com MP3 music store.

References:

Gonorrhea Getting Harder to Treat - Antibiotic Resistance Pushing Gonorrhea Toward Superbug Status http://buff.ly/1gw6mCh

Antibiotic use for respiratory infections could be reduced by 40% by procalcitonin (PCT) test

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a precursor of the hormone calcitonin, which is involved with calcium homeostasis, and is produced by the C-cells of the thyroid gland.

In healthy people, procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations are low, but in those with bacterial infection it occurs at high concentrations in the blood as early as 3 hours after infection. In people with viral infections, procalcitonin (PCT) levels rise only marginally, if at all.

A PCT-guided strategy applied in primary care in unselected patients presenting with symptoms of acute respiratory infection reduces antibiotic use by 41.6 percent without compromising patient outcome.


The FDA Approved an Automated Procalcitonin (PCT) Test in 2008.

References:
Simple test could cut excessive antibiotic use. Reuters, 2010.