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Review
. 2024 Jun 17;2(1):16.
doi: 10.1038/s44259-024-00033-8.

Limitations of current techniques in clinical antimicrobial resistance diagnosis: examples and future prospects

Jack Hassall  1 , Carmen Coxon  1 , Vishal C Patel  2   3   4 , Simon D Goldenberg  5 , Chrysi Sergaki  6
Affiliations
Review

Limitations of current techniques in clinical antimicrobial resistance diagnosis: examples and future prospects

Jack Hassall et al. NPJ Antimicrob Resist. .

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat to public health. Without proactive intervention, common infections may become untreatable, restricting the types of clinical intervention that can be undertaken and reversing improvements in mortality rates. Effective antimicrobial stewardship represents one approach to restrict the spread of antimicrobial resistance but relies on rapid and accurate diagnostics that minimise the unnecessary use of antibiotics. This is increasingly a key unmet clinical need. In this paper, we describe existing techniques for the detection of antimicrobial resistance, while examining their drawbacks and limitations. We also discuss emerging diagnostic technologies in the field, and the need for standardisation to allow for swifter and more widespread clinical adoption.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Authority laboratories at South Mimms is part of an Arms Length Body of the UK Government. The laboratories prepare, curate and distribute globally, reference materials including WHO International Standards. The distribution of reference materials is undertaken on a cost-recovery basis. Further information is available at www.nibsc.org All authors declare no financial or non-financial competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. AMR Stewardship through targeted treatments.
Current approach for infection diagnostics vs a WGS approach that supports AMR stewardship.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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