Antibiotic stewardship challenges in the management of community-acquired infections for prevention of escalating antibiotic resistance

Abstract

Community-acquired infections, including respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs), represent a major burden for most healthcare systems, partially due to ineffective or inappropriate antibiotic treatment leading to clinical failure, which often requires alternative antibiotics for cure. Appropriate antimicrobial use not only maximises clinical success in the treatment of community-acquired infections, but also minimises unintended consequences such as resistance development or collateral damage. This article outlines a range of antibiotic stewardship strategies and other preventative approaches that support the management of community-acquired infections, based on existing antibiotic use for community-acquired infections and the current resistance patterns among common RTI and UTI pathogens.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotic stewardship; Community-acquired infection.