Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotics Use and Antimicrobial Stewardship".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 50125

Special Issue Editors

1. School of Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
2. Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Barcelona, CIBER-BBN, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: antimicrobial peptides; solid-phase chemistry; combinatorial chemistry; drug delivery systems; peptide drug conjugates; orthogonal chemistry; drug discovery; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
Interests: epidemiology; clinical microbiology; resistance trends; UTIs, antimicrobial stewardship; knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP); novel antimicrobials; drug design; anaerobes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a serious public health issue which requires global action of an intersectoral nature, involving physicians, pharmacists, patients, and the relevant stakeholders alike. As pharmaceutical companies are struggling to keep up with the increase in the resistance trends of various pathogens (most commonly termed “ESKAPE” bacteria), the conscious use of the existing antimicrobials (both qualitatively and quantitatively) is of utmost importance. General practitioners and community pharmacists usually represent the first-line of interaction with healthcare for most of the patients; therefore, they need to act as “gate keepers” while prescribing/dispensing antibiotics. The appropriateness of the healthcare professionals’ knowledge–attitude–practice (KAP) is critical for proper patient education and for attaining change in their attitudes. In addition, clinical microbiology laboratories have pivotal roles in reporting the epidemiological features of their region, in performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and in the detection of relevant resistance mechanisms, supplying important information to physicians in a clinically-relevant time frame, also, to support infection control measures to curb the spread of drug resistant bacteria.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present novel results on the epidemiology of various MDR pathogens worldwide, to describe novel diagnostic and point-of-care (POCT) tests to aid proper antibiotic therapy, interventional studies to improve antimicrobial drug utilization, pharmacoepidemiological studies, and various studies reporting on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare professionals (nurses, doctors, pharmacists, etc.) and patients regarding antibiotics and antibiotic resistance.

Prof. Dr. Fernando Albericio
Dr. Márió Gajdács
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotic resistance
  • MDR
  • ESKAPE pathogens
  • resistance detection
  • point-of-care testing (POCT)
  • clinical bacteriology
  • infectious disease epidemiology
  • drug utilization
  • antimicrobial stewardship
  • attitudes on antimicrobials
  • knowledge on antimicrobials
  • regulatory perspectives
  • policy analysis
  • primary care
  • pharmacy

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 203 KiB  
Editorial
Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients
by Márió Gajdács and Fernando Albericio
Antibiotics 2019, 8(3), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics8030129 - 27 Aug 2019
Cited by 92 | Viewed by 8280
Abstract
The discovery and subsequent clinical introduction of antibiotics is one of the most important game-changers in the history of medicine [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)

Research

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17 pages, 557 KiB  
Article
Antibiotic Prescribing to Patients with Infectious and Non-Infectious Indications Admitted to Obstetrics and Gynaecology Departments in Two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Central India
by Anna Machowska, Kristoffer Landstedt, Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg and Megha Sharma
Antibiotics 2020, 9(8), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9080464 - 30 Jul 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3527
Abstract
Background: Patients admitted to obstetrics and gynaecology (OBGY) departments are at high risk of infections and subsequent antibiotic prescribing, which may contribute to antibiotic resistance (ABR). Although antibiotic surveillance is one of the cornerstones to combat ABR, it is rarely performed in [...] Read more.
Background: Patients admitted to obstetrics and gynaecology (OBGY) departments are at high risk of infections and subsequent antibiotic prescribing, which may contribute to antibiotic resistance (ABR). Although antibiotic surveillance is one of the cornerstones to combat ABR, it is rarely performed in low- and middle-income countries. Aim: To describe and compare antibiotic prescription patterns among the inpatients in OBGY departments of two tertiary care hospitals, one teaching (TH) and one nonteaching (NTH), in Central India. Methods: Data on patients’ demographics, diagnoses and prescribed antibiotics were collected prospectively for three years. Patients were divided into two categories- infectious and non-infectious diagnosis and were further divided into three groups: surgical, nonsurgical and possible-surgical indications. The data was coded based on the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system, and the International Classification of Disease system version-10 and Defined Daily Doses (DDDs) were calculated per 1000 patients. Results: In total, 5558 patients were included in the study, of those, 81% in the TH and 85% in the NTH received antibiotics (p < 0.001). Antibiotics were prescribed frequently to the inpatients in the nonsurgical group without any documented bacterial infection (TH-71%; NTH-75%). Prescribing of broad-spectrum, fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of antibiotics was more common in both categories in the NTH than in the TH. Overall, higher DDD/1000 patients were prescribed in the TH in both categories. Conclusions: Antibiotics were frequently prescribed to the patients with no documented infectious indications. Misprescribing of the broad-spectrum FDCs of antibiotics and unindicated prescribing of antibiotics point towards threat of ABR and needs urgent action. Antibiotics prescribed to the inpatients having nonbacterial infection indications is another point of concern that requires action. Investigation of underlying reasons for prescribing antibiotics for unindicated diagnoses and the development and implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs are recommended measures to improve antibiotic prescribing practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
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18 pages, 600 KiB  
Article
Profile of Enterobacteria Resistant to Beta-Lactams
by Andressa Liberal Santos, Adailton Pereira dos Santos, Célia Regina Malveste Ito, Pedro Henrique Pereira de Queiroz, Juliana Afonso de Almeida, Marcos Antonio Batista de Carvalho Júnior, Camila Zanatta de Oliveira, Melissa Ameloti G. Avelino, Isabela Jubé Wastowski, Giselle Pinheiro Lima Aires Gomes, Adenícia Custódia Silva e Souza, Lara Stefânia Netto de Oliveira Leão Vasconcelos, Mônica de Oliveira Santos, Carla Afonso da Silva and Lilian Carla Carneiro
Antibiotics 2020, 9(7), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9070410 - 15 Jul 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4411
Abstract
A serious emerging problem worldwide is increased antimicrobial resistance. Acquisition of coding genes for evasion methods of antimicrobial drug mechanisms characterizes acquired resistance. This phenomenon has been observed in Enterobacteriaceae family. Treatment for bacterial infections is performed with antibiotics, of which the most [...] Read more.
A serious emerging problem worldwide is increased antimicrobial resistance. Acquisition of coding genes for evasion methods of antimicrobial drug mechanisms characterizes acquired resistance. This phenomenon has been observed in Enterobacteriaceae family. Treatment for bacterial infections is performed with antibiotics, of which the most used are beta-lactams. The aim of this study was to correlate antimicrobial resistance profiles in Enterobacteriaceae by phenotypic methods and molecular identification of 14 beta-lactamase coding genes. In this study, 70 exclusive isolates from Brazil were used, half of which were collected in veterinary clinics or hospitals Phenotypic methodologies were used and real-time PCR was the molecular methodology used, through the Sybr Green system. Regargding the results found in the tests it was observed that 74.28% were resistant to ampicillin, 62.85% were resistant to amoxicillin associated with clavalunate. The mechanism of resistance that presented the highest expression was ESBL (17.14%). The genes studied that were detected in a greater number of species were blaGIM and blaSIM (66.66% of the samples) and the one that was amplified in a smaller number of samples was blaVIM (16.66%). Therefore, high and worrying levels of antimicrobial resistance have been found in enterobacteria, and a way to minimize the accelerated emergence of their resistance includes developing or improving techniques that generate diagnoses with high efficiency and speed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
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14 pages, 236 KiB  
Article
Public Awareness and Practices towards Self-Medication with Antibiotics among the Malaysian Population. A Development of Questionnaire and Pilot-Testing
by Adeel Aslam, Márió Gajdács, Che Suraya Zin, Norny Syafinaz Binti Abd Rahman, Syed Imran Ahmed and Shazia Qasim Jamshed
Antibiotics 2020, 9(2), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9020097 - 24 Feb 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6653
Abstract
It is well documented that injudicious antibiotic use and practicing self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) can lead to antibiotic resistance. The objective was to validate and develop an instrument in Bahasa Melayu to assess the awareness and practices towards SMA in the Malaysian population. [...] Read more.
It is well documented that injudicious antibiotic use and practicing self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) can lead to antibiotic resistance. The objective was to validate and develop an instrument in Bahasa Melayu to assess the awareness and practices towards SMA in the Malaysian population. A pilot study was conducted among 100 Malaysians participants. Reliability testing in terms of test-retest, internal consistency, and content validity was performed. One-way ANOVA and t-test were applied to determine significant differences between groups. A panel of nine experts evaluated the research instrument for content validity and it was found to have strong content item validity (Indices = 1). Each domain (level of knowledge and understanding about antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance: Practice towards self-medication) showed good internal consistency of Cronbach’s alpha 0.658 and 0.90. While test-retest reliability value for each domain was 0.773 (p = 0.009), and 0.891 (p = 0.001. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) for level of knowledge about antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance was 21.8 ± 7.02 and for practice scores (SMA) 6.03 ± 2.30. The instrument established sound reliability and validity and, therefore, can be an effective tool for assessing public awareness, and practices toward self-medication with antibiotics in the Malaysian population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
14 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Extraintestinal Clostridioides difficile Infections: Epidemiology in a University Hospital in Hungary and Review of the Literature
by Edit Urbán, Gabriella Terhes and Márió Gajdács
Antibiotics 2020, 9(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9010016 - 02 Jan 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3648
Abstract
Extraintestinal manifestations of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are very uncommon, and according to the literature, poor outcomes and a high mortality have been observed among affected individuals. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence rate of extraintestinal infections caused by [...] Read more.
Extraintestinal manifestations of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are very uncommon, and according to the literature, poor outcomes and a high mortality have been observed among affected individuals. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence rate of extraintestinal infections caused by C. difficile (ECD) in a tertiary-care university hospital in Hungary. During a 10-year study period, the microbiology laboratory isolated 4129 individual strains of C. difficile; among these, the majority were either from diarrheal fecal samples or from colonic material and only n = 24 (0.58%) were from extraintestinal sources. The 24 extraintestinal C. difficile isolates were recovered from 22 patients (female-to-male ratio: 1, average age: 55.4 years). The isolates in n = 8 patients were obtained from abdominal infections, e.g., appendicitis, rectal abscess or Crohn’s disease. These extraintestinal cases occurred without concomitant diarrhea. In all, but two cases C. difficile was obtained as a part of a polymicrobial flora. Our isolates were frequently toxigenic and mostly belonged to PCR ribotype 027. Resistance to metronidazole, vancomycin, clindamycin and rifampin were 0%, 0%, 20.5% and 9.7%, respectively. The increasing amount of reports of C. difficile extraintestinal infections should be noted, as these infections are characterized by a poor outcome and high mortality rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
18 pages, 606 KiB  
Article
Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Awareness of Antibiotic Use, Resistance and Stewardship: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
by Andrea Rábano-Blanco, Eva María Domínguez-Martís, Diego Gabriel Mosteiro-Miguéns, Manuel Freire-Garabal and Silvia Novío
Antibiotics 2019, 8(4), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics8040203 - 30 Oct 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6575
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is an emerging worldwide concern with serious repercussions in terms of morbi-mortality. Bearing in mind that the inadequate use of antibiotics, by healthcare staff as well as by the general population, is one of its main causes, a multidisciplinary approach is [...] Read more.
Antibiotic resistance is an emerging worldwide concern with serious repercussions in terms of morbi-mortality. Bearing in mind that the inadequate use of antibiotics, by healthcare staff as well as by the general population, is one of its main causes, a multidisciplinary approach is required to try to combat it. The aim of the present study was to determine nursing students’ knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use, resistance and stewardship. A cross-sectional design was used. A total of 578 nursing students from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), ≥18 years old of both sexes were invited to complete the Spanish version of the questionnaire “Knowledge and awareness of the use, resistance and administration of antibiotics” between February and April 2019. Students had a low level of knowledge about antibiotics, 4.1 (CI95% = 3.4–4.8), especially in relation to antibiotic resistance. As the students were aware of this deficiency, the majority affirmed (>90%) that the current curriculum of nursing degree should have more training on antibiotics and infection control. Nursing staff play an important role in the rational use of antibiotics and as teachers of patients, so their training could be key in fighting antibiotic resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
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13 pages, 1481 KiB  
Communication
Resistance Levels and Epidemiology of Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacteria in Urinary Tract Infections of Inpatients and Outpatients (RENFUTI): A 10-Year Epidemiological Snapshot
by Márió Gajdács, Katalin Burián and Gabriella Terhes
Antibiotics 2019, 8(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics8030143 - 09 Sep 2019
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 6122
Abstract
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections in the human medicine, both among outpatients and inpatients. There is an increasing appreciation for the pathogenic role of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria (NFGNBs) in UTIs, particularly in the presence of underlying [...] Read more.
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections in the human medicine, both among outpatients and inpatients. There is an increasing appreciation for the pathogenic role of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria (NFGNBs) in UTIs, particularly in the presence of underlying illnesses. Methods: The study was carried out using data regarding a 10-year period (2008–2017). The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method, E-tests, and broth microdilution. Results: NFGNB represented 3.46% ± 0.93% for the outpatients, while 6.43% ± 0.81% of all positive urine samples for the inpatients (p < 0.001). In both groups, Pseudomonas spp. (78.7% compared to 85.1%) and Acinetobacter spp. (19.6% compared to 10.9%), were the most prevalent. The Acinetobacter resistance levels were significantly higher in inpatients isolates (p values ranging between 0.046 and <0.001), while the differences in the resistance levels of Pseudomonas was not as pronounced. The β-lactam-resistance levels were between 15–25% and 12–28% for the Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas spp., respectively. 4.71% of Acinetobacter and 1.67% of Pseudomonas were extensively drug resistant (XDR); no colistin-resistant isolates were recovered. Conclusions: Increasing resistance levels of the Acinetobacter spp. from 2013 onward, but not in the case of the Pseudomonas spp. Although rare, the drug resistant NFGNB in UTIs present a concerning therapeutic challenge to clinicians with few therapeutic options left. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
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Review

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17 pages, 407 KiB  
Review
Evidence of the Practice of Self-Medication with Antibiotics among the Lay Public in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review
by Adeel Aslam, Márió Gajdács, Che Suraya Zin, Norny Syafinaz Ab Rahman, Syed Imran Ahmed, Muhammad Zeeshan Zafar and Shazia Jamshed
Antibiotics 2020, 9(9), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9090597 - 12 Sep 2020
Cited by 73 | Viewed by 7010
Abstract
The current scoping review is an attempt to explore the key reasons, determinants, patterns and prevalence related to self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) among the lay public. An online search was conducted using Google Scholar, Science Direct, ProQuest and PubMed. A two-phase mapping approach [...] Read more.
The current scoping review is an attempt to explore the key reasons, determinants, patterns and prevalence related to self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) among the lay public. An online search was conducted using Google Scholar, Science Direct, ProQuest and PubMed. A two-phase mapping approach was used. In the first phase, studies were screened. In the second phase, the data were extracted from selected studies followed by the assessment of data quality. A total of 24 studies were included; 20 were cross-sectional, 3 were qualitative and one was observational. The most common indications were flu, cough, common colds, sore throat, diarrhea, toothache and fever. The most common determinants reported were past good experience and suggestions from friends or relatives. The use of SMA was observed to be more frequent in younger aged individuals belonging to low- or middle-income groups. The prevalence rate was reported to be high among the South Asian lay public and may be a major contributor to antibiotic resistance. In conclusion, this scoping review identifies a need for education campaigns and mass media campaigns to strengthen lay public awareness about the side effects and risks associated with SMA. In addition to this, there is a need to implement strict policies by government agencies to restrict over the counter availability of antibiotics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
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Other

7 pages, 991 KiB  
Brief Report
Impact of a Diagnosis-Centered Antibiotic Stewardship on Incident Clostridioides difficile Infections in Older Inpatients: An Observational Study
by Alain Putot, Karine Astruc, Jeremy Barben, Anca Maria Mihai, Valentine Nuss, Julien Bador, Sophie Putot, Mélanie Dipanda, Caroline Laborde, Jeremie Vovelle, Sofia Da Silva, Emmanuel Mazen, Ludwig Serge Aho Glélé and Patrick Manckoundia
Antibiotics 2020, 9(6), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9060303 - 05 Jun 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2540
Abstract
In 2015, a major increase in incident hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infections (HO-CDI) in a geriatric university hospital led to the implementation of a diagnosis-centered antibiotic stewardship program (ASP). We aimed to evaluate the impact of the ASP on antibiotic consumption and on HO-CDI [...] Read more.
In 2015, a major increase in incident hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infections (HO-CDI) in a geriatric university hospital led to the implementation of a diagnosis-centered antibiotic stewardship program (ASP). We aimed to evaluate the impact of the ASP on antibiotic consumption and on HO-CDI incidence. The intervention was the arrival of a full-time infectiologist in the acute geriatric unit in May 2015, followed by the implementation of new diagnostic procedures for infections associated with an antibiotic withdrawal policy. Between 2015 and 2018, the ASP was associated with a major reduction in diagnoses for inpatients (23% to 13% for pneumonia, 24% to 13% for urinary tract infection), while median hospital stays and mortality rates remained stable. The reduction in diagnosed bacterial infections was associated with a 45% decrease in antibiotic consumption in the acute geriatric unit. HO-CDI incidence also decreased dramatically from 1.4‰ bed-days to 0.8‰ bed-days in the geriatric rehabilitation unit. The ASP focused on reducing the overdiagnosis of bacterial infections in the acute geriatric unit was successfully associated with both a reduction in antibiotic use and a clear reduction in the incidence of HO-CDI in the geriatric rehabilitation unit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients)
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