Vol.53 No.9 September 2005
Basic principles of antibiotic therapy for hospital infections
Nagoya Midori Municipal Hospital, 1-77 Shiomigaoka, Midori-ku, Nagoya, Japan
Abstract
Antibiotic therapy for hospital infections should incorporate at least two different aspects: (1) therapeutic success in individual patients and (2) preventing the emergence of antibiotic-resistant mutants. To reduce the emergence of antibiotic-resistant hospital strains, several strategies should be employed: lowering antibiotic consumption by not treating healthy carriers; stopping treatment when an infection is cured (when cultures are negative and further infection is unlikely) or has not been diagnosed; not overusing any antibiotic class to reduce selection pressure; and using sufficient antibiotic doses to prevent the selection of first-step mutants. The trend towards increased antibiotic resistance requires a more prudent use of antimicrobial drugs in the treatment of hospital infections. Simultaneously, preventing the transmission of resistant organisms from one person to another is critical to successful preventive efforts.
Key word
antimicrobial chemotherapy, hospital infection, antimicrobial selective pressure
Received
July 28, 2005
Accepted
August 17, 2005
Jpn. J. Chemother. 53 (9): 507-511, 2005
