Scientist restructuring last-resort antibiotic vancomycin, a superbug cluster detected in Texas and an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., were among the articles on antibiotic resistance published by Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality in May.
Here are 15 articles exploring the topic of antibiotic resistance or involving antibiotic resistant pathogens published in May.
1. Scientists reengineer vancomycin to fight superbug
A team of scientific researchers modified the last-resort antibiotic vancomycin to improve its ability to limit Enterococci bacteria, according to a study published in PNAS Plus.
2. When used together, otherwise ineffective antibiotics can eradicate superbugs
In the fight against deadly superbugs, combinations of antibiotics may provide a strong defense. Two new studies show that when certain antibiotics are combined they can kill, and in some cases prevent re-growth, of some antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
3. Researchers identify Salmonella strain harboring new antibiotic-resistant gene
Scientific researchers identified a new antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella extracted from chickens bred for meat consumption, according to research published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
4. Spelunking scientists — caves provide possible reservoir for antibiotics
While caves are home to few plants and animals, they are teeming with microbes that may provide science with a reservoir for new antibiotics, according to a Popular Science article.
5. Antibiotics ineffective for nearly 25% of pneumonia patients
Nearly 25 percent of adult patients treated for pneumonia with antibiotics in an outpatient setting do not respond to the treatment, suggest the findings from a study presented during the 2017 American Thoracic Society International Conference held in Washington, D.C., from May 19 to May 24.
6. Delivering antibiotics earlier helps lower in-hospital death rates among sepsis patients
Administering antibiotics earlier and completing a three-hour bundle of sepsis care have proved to be more effective in improving outcomes for patients, compared to administering intravenous fluids earlier, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
7. Henry Ford Health System starts phasing antibiotic-free poultry into cafeterias
In the interest of combating the growth of antibiotic resistance, Henry Ford Health System in Detroit is working to serve only antibiotic-free poultry to patients, employees and visitors at its five hospitals.
8. UC Irvine MRSA outbreak calls universal decontamination strategy into question
Even though Orange, Calif.-based UC Irvine Medical Center implemented a widely used strategy to contain methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in its neonatal intensive care unit, the bacteria still managed to spread to other infants in the NICU — meaning the containment strategy may not be as effective as experts believed.
9. Technology and antibiotic stewardship: Top challenges & solutions
Antibiotic resistance is a global issue threatening to render our tried and true antibiotics useless and turn previously curable bacterial infections deadly. Per CDC data, drug-resistant bacteria already cause 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths each year.
10. Cluster of uncommon superbug strain found in Houston
Scientists from the Houston Methodist Research Institute using genome sequencing found that more than one-third of Houston Methodist patients studied were infected with a rare Klebsiella pneumoniae strain.
11. Hospital door handles often harbor MRSA, study shows
Findings from a recent study in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control reinforce the importance of thoroughly cleaning hospital door handles.
12. Patients more likely to receive antibiotics from mid- or late-career physicians, study shows
A study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examines the factors associated with antibiotic prescribing for acute upper respiratory tract infections.
13. Illinois ground zero for CRE in the US, suggest Chicago physicians
A family of drug-resistant bacteria previously referred to as "nightmare bacteria" by former CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, is on the rise around the world. Illinois may be ground zero for the deadly pathogen in the United States, according to Chicago-based physicians cited in an NBC Chicago report.
14. Pediatric patients with MRSA infections face high complications rates, but low death rates
Children suffering from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-related bloodstream infections have a high risk of developing complications, which worsen each day that the infection is left untreated, according to a study published in Pediatrics. However, pediatric MRSA patients' mortality rate remains low compared to adults with the infection.
15. Appropriate antimicrobial prescribing improves when physician autonomy is preserved, study shows
A behavioral approach focused on preserving physician autonomy and participation helps enhance the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.