by Olivia Woodford-Berry '19
Though the term is greatly ambiguous in today’s charged political culture, the growth of the “healthcare crisis” is at the forefront of both American and international politics. Antibiotics, although incredibly valuable, have consistently held a key niche in this discussion. Through overuse, these have begun to become less effective . According to studies published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology and Internal Medicine Journal, 20-50% of all antibiotics prescribed in the United States are unnecessary . On a global scale, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has led to severe repercussions for public health and economic stability within the healthcare system.
Furthermore, this issue has led to a decline in the number of clinically-usable drugs . According to the Centers for Disease Control, over two million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant organisms , which can result in greater risks of complications, prolonged hospital visits, or death . In part, this has contributed not only to the loss of human life, but also to the increasing cost of healthcare in the United States. In order to create more effective treatments, curtail rising medical costs, and constrain the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant microbes, a more focused approach to patient treatment may be in order.
Personalized medicine, though often discussed with a connotation of science fiction, may be a part of the solution. Beyond the more controversial topics such as prenatal genetic screening or universal DNA sequencing, personalized medicine also refers to the more focused application of commonly used drugs. Antimicrobial stewardship refers to coordination between doctors and pharmacists to create more personalized treatments for patients’ infections. Specifically, it calls for the prescription of antimicrobials based on the individual patient’s condition and blood cultures, as opposed to the exhaustive use of common antibiotics. In a study published in the Journal of Infection, researchers examined the effects of this methodology on patients with antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections. Subjects who were treated with rapid diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship showed a decrease in duration of hospitalization and time in the intensive care unit compared to control groups. Furthermore, the mean hospital costs for each survivor in the experimental group reduced by nearly 30,000 dollars . This methodology was shown to be more effective in terms of patient care, as intervention was a significant predictor of survival; this technique also reduced the prevalence of antibiotic resistance.
Improved use of antibiotics is important in both patient safety and public health, and new approaches to antibiotic treatments are beginning to come to fruition beyond (controlled) lab settings. Programs involving antibiotic stewardship are becoming more common in hospitals. California, to take things one step further, recently instituted a law that requires hospitals to implement such programs. Still, in order for these practices to become mainstream, hospitals across the country will need greater access to highly educated drug specialists, a relatively small group of people. Still, biotechnology as a field is growing exponentially. While blanket prescriptions of antibiotics are still relatively common, widespread change in how antibiotics are handled throughout national and international healthcare systems may be on the horizon.
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