Search Tag: antibiotic resistance
Bacteria-communicate-to-help-each-other-resist-antibiotics
2013 09 Jul
New research from Western University unravels a novel means of communication that allows bacteria such as Burkholderia cenocepacia (B. cenocepacia) to resist antibiotic treatment. B. cenocepacia is an environmental bacterium that causes devastating infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) or with compromised immune systems. Dr. Miguel...Read more
Internet-based-training-could-help-in-the-fight-against-antibiotic-resistance
2013 01 Aug
Antibiotic prescribing rates for acute respiratory tract infections could be significantly lowered using internet-based training for clinicians, new research has shown. In a study, led by the University of Southampton and published in The Lancet today (Wednesday 31 July), an internet-based training programme has shown to reduce antibiotics prescribing...Read more
Scientists-uncover-how-superbug-fights-off-antibiotic
2013 04 Sep
Investigators working to stem the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have taken a major step in their efforts to develop new treatments. Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) report they have identified a novel mechanism that a particular superbug uses to fend off a key front-line antibiotic called...Read more
Researchers-uncover-keys-to-antibiotic-resistance-in-mrsa
2013 06 Oct
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is shown in the background (in gray). This figure depicts domains and key ligands of the penicillin binding protein 2a — a key resistance enzyme. The red molecule on the right is ceftaroline, a drug recently approved by the FDA. (Credit: University of Notre Dame) University of Notre Dame researchers...Read more
International-collaboration-boosts-research-on-antibiotic-resistance
2013 14 Nov
A four-year project entitled ‘TAILORED-Treatment’ is aimed at establishing a successful strategy to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment, lowering any potential therapy side-effects and limiting the rise of antimicrobial resistance in patients. Coordinated by the Netherland’s Erasmus MC, Rotterdam it is funded with € 6.000.000 by the...Read more
New-treatment-discovery-leads-to-mrsa-infection-cure
2013 15 Nov
According to a pioneering study recently published in the journal ‘Nature’, the work of University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis has led to a promising new approach in the treatment for and elimination of the methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. This powerful antibiotic-resistant bacterium, dubbed the "superbug",...Read more
Ecdc-findings-carbapenem-resistant-infections-still-increasing-across-europe
2013 19 Nov
The European Centre has released the latest EU figures on antibiotic resistance for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), documenting an remarkable rise carbapenem-resistant infections. As a significant last-line class of antibiotics, carbapenems are used in the treatment of healthcare-associated infections. The report highlights an above...Read more
Stubborn-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-behaviour-revealed
2013 31 Dec
Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem have successfully been able to reveal the mechanism that allows some bacteria to avoid treatment with antibiotics. This breakthrough could lead to new methods to control this type of bacteria. It is known that bacteria are able to achieve resistance to antibiotics via mutation, however there...Read more
Chemists-uncover-new-class-of-antibiotics
2014 12 Mar
According to research findings described in an article entitled "Discovery of a New Class of Non-beta-lactam Inhibitors of Penicillin-Binding Proteins with Gram-Positive Antibacterial Activity", and published in the the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a team of University of Notre Dame researchers have discovered a new class of antibiotics...Read more
Frost-sullivan-next-generation-therapeutics-to-conquer-infectious-diseases
2014 26 Mar
Resistance to current drugs spurs treatment innovation in influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, chlamydia and gonorrhoea Currently, the prescribed antivirals for some infections, such as the frequently occurring respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are limited in their regular use and efficiency, due to having a variable response,...Read more
Banishing-bacterial-biofilms
2014 27 May
With antibiotic resistance a major issue globally, research in Canada may lead to an effective alternative in tackling bacteria. The research team, led by Professor Bob Hancock, of the University of British Columbia's Department of Microbiology and Immunology, identified a small molecule that prevents bacteria from forming into biofilms, which...Read more
Pneumonp-a-who-collaborative-research-program
2014 11 Jul
Antibiotic resistance poses a serious worldwide threat to the treatment of infections such as pneumonia. A collaborative European research project is responding to the plea by the World Health Organization (WHO) for innovative solutions to control the crisis. The PneumoNP project will combine new antibiotics with inhalable nanocarriers for a more...Read more
Topical-antibiotics-no-impact-on-icu-patient-outcomes
2014 01 Oct
Prophylactic antibiotics applied areas in the mouth, throat and digestive tract were associated with low levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and no differences in patient survival and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, according to researchers from the University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands. Data show that some antibiotic regimens,...Read more
Vancomycin-still-useful-for-staph-infections
2014 11 Oct
A new study published in JAMA has determined that vancomycin, an antibiotic that came out more than 50 years ago, remains effective in treating Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. The study's authors said doctors should continue to use the drug even as newer antibiotics can now be bought in the market. Staphylococcus aureus is amongst...Read more
Biomarker-tests-reduce-unnecessary-antibiotic-prescriptions
2014 07 Nov
On-the-spot tests for bacterial infections, which only take about three minutes to process, may help to reduce excessive use of antibiotics. Researchers in Denmark performed a systematic review showing that doctors who tested for the presence of bacterial infections were prescribing fewer antibiotics. Their findings are published online in The Cochrane...Read more
Widespread-public-misconception-about-antibiotics
2014 24 Nov
According to a new survey by Public Health England (PHE), nearly 40 percent of people are unnecessarily taking antibiotics for coughs or runny noses while 90 percent are unaware that drug-resistant bacteria can spread from person to person. These findings were released to mark the European Antibiotics Awareness Day on 18 November. The survey calls...Read more
New-method-detects-antibiotic-resistance-fast
2014 27 Nov
A new method developed by Swedish researchers can rapidly identify which bacteria are causing an infection and detect whether they are resistant or sensitive to antibiotics. Results of the study have been published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology . "Clinical use of the method would mean that the right antibiotic treatment could be started...Read more
New-software-predicts-superbugs-countermoves-to-new-drugs
2015 05 Jan
In the fight against drug-resistant bacteria, new drugs are urgently needed, but so are ways to maximise the effective lifespan of these drugs. Researchers at Duke University in the U.S. have developed open-source software that can predict a constantly-evolving infectious bacterium's counter-moves to a new drug before the drug is tested on patients....Read more
New-antibiotic-teixobactin-could-be-a-game-changer
2015 10 Jan
A novel method for growing bacteria has finally yielded a promising new antibiotic which could be a major breakthrough ending a decades-long drought in antibiotic discovery. The last new class of antibiotics was discovered nearly three decades ago. During this time, microbes have become more and more resistant. However, a new study published...Read more
Study-protocol-increases-appropriate-antibiotic-use
2015 19 Jan
According to a retrospective study, an antibiotic protocol that determined antibiotic use based on risk for health care-associated infections significantly increased appropriate prescription of antibiotics in a paediatric ICU. The study has been published online in Annals of the American Thoracic Society . Researchers evaluated patients with an...Read more
Biomarker-predicts-burn-patients-risk-of-infection
2015 11 Feb
A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-led study has shown that a set of characteristics, including differences in gene expression, may indicate which patients recovering from severe burns are at greatest risk for repeat infections. The finding is published online in Annals of Surgery . "Our approach is the first to enable the prediction of repeat...Read more
Pressure-to-prescribe-more-antibiotics-ordered-where-physicians-compete-with-clinics
2015 25 Feb
Wealthier areas of the US have more antibiotic prescriptions written per capita, where there is greater competition among care providers, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. Patients in such areas may be more able and likely to shop for physicians who are willing to write a prescription. As a result, doctors’ offices compete with retail medical...Read more
Personalised-treatment-for-cancer-patients-with-pneumonia
2015 14 Apr
A study by researchers from D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) in Brazil has analysed the factors associated with severe pneumonia in hospitalised cancer patients and suggests that more personalised treatment protocols can reduce mortality in these patients. The findings are published online in PLoS ONE . It is widely believed that the...Read more
Hospitals-not-making-enough-effort-to-prevent-c-difficile-infections
2015 29 Apr
According to a survey of a national random sample of hospitals, nearly half of American hospitals aren't taking the steps required to prevent a gut infection that kills nearly 30,000 people annually and sickens hundreds of thousands more. The survey was conducted by a team from the University of Michigan Medical School and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare...Read more
New-chip-allows-optimal-antibiotic-selection
2015 31 May
Researchers at the University of Toronto have designed a diagnostic chip that can help reduce testing time for antibiotic resistance from days to one hour. This can enable doctors to select the right antibiotic from the very beginning. The work has been published in the journal Lab on a Chip. Antibiotic resistance is a serious issue. According to...Read more
Microbiome-disruption-ups-sepsis-risk-in-hospitalised-patients
2015 04 Jun
A new University of Michigan and VA study shows that older adults are three times more likely to develop sepsis — a body-wide catastrophic response to infection — in the first three months after leaving a hospital than at any other time. Notably, the risk of sepsis is 70 percent higher for those who received care that is likely to alter the balance...Read more
Stop-it-trial-shows-antibiotic-use-can-be-reduced
2015 12 Jun
According to researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and 22 other institutions, the duration of antibiotic treatment for complicated abdominal infections can be cut by half and still remain effective. This could play an important role in preventing the development of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The research team looked at...Read more
New-antibiotics-group-shows-promise-against-staph-mrsa
2015 15 Sep
Virginia Tech researchers say a new group of antibiotics shows potential in fighting the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (staph) and the antibiotic-resistant strains commonly known as MRSA. The discovery, published in Medicinal Chemistry Communications , shows that the new antibiotics are unlike contemporary antibiotics because they contain iridium,...Read more
Multidrug-resistant-gram-negative-bacteria-in-hospitals-new-guidelines
2015 24 Nov
New guidelines on the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in hospitals have been published by the Journal of Hospital Infection . These guidelines are accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK. Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) include common types such as E. coli that are present...Read more
European-congress-of-clinical-microbiology-and-infectious-diseases-2015-antibiotics
2015 07 Dec
The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases , the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) is the most attended infectious disease conference worldwide. This year, more than 10,000 clinicians and scientists attended the congress to present and share the latest research...Read more