Antimicrobial resistance arises when the organisms that cause infection evolve ways to survive treatments. The term antimicrobial includes antibiotic, antiprotozoal, antiviral and antifungal medicines.
Resistance is a natural biological phenomenon but it is increased and accelerated by various factors such as misuse of medicines, poor infection control practices and global trade and travel.
This is a particular concern with antibiotics, which treat bacterial infections. Many of the medical advances in recent years, for example organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy need antibiotics to prevent and treat the bacterial infections that can follow treatment. Without effective antibiotics, even minor surgery and routine operations could become high risk procedures if serious infections can’t be treated.
There are forms available to help you determine if antibiotics are actually required to treat an infection. These can be found by clicking the link below: