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Antibiotics have well-known benefits when used appropriately. However, it has been estimated that up to 50 percent of antibiotic usage in hospitals may be inappropriate.
Physicians regularly have to make complex decisions about antibiotic use. On one hand, they should offer optimal therapy for the individual patient under their care; on the other hand, they should limit the impact of the antibiotic in order to prevent adverse effects, the selection of opportunistic bacteria such as Clostridioides difficile and of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The problem of antibiotic resistance (ABR) is widespread worldwide. ABR poses a global challenge. No single country, however effective it is at containing resistance within its boundaries, can protect itself from the importation of ABR through travel and trade.
The global nature of ABR calls for a global response, both in the geographic sense and across the whole range of sectors involved. Nobody is exempt from the problem.
ABR is a growing public health concern worldwide, and it is now regarded as a critical One Health issue. One Health's interconnected domains contribute to the emergence, evolution, and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on a local and global scale. The drivers of ABR include antibiotic use and abuse in human, animal, and environmental sectors and the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants within and between these sectors and around the globe. Given the important and interdependent human, animal, and environmental dimensions of ABR, it is logical to take a One Health approach when addressing this problem.
Despite an increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide, the impact of ABR is often underestimated.
In the face of such a problem, everyone must contribute.
This document aims to actively raise awareness of healthcare workers (HCWs) and improve antibiotic prescribing practices worldwide.
The document highlights the threat posed by ABR and the need for the appropriate use of antibiotics in healthcare facilities worldwide. As such, it is our intent to raise awareness among HCWs and improve antibiotic prescribing practices.
The document reports the 10 commandments for the appropriate use of antibiotics in healthcare facilities, which all HCWs should always respect in their clinical practice around the World.
Join us now in this global cause, by supporting this document and accepting the responsibility for maintaining the effectiveness of current and future antibiotics.
