Antimicrobials: Healthcare's Silver Bullet Against HAIs?

Some may wonder if the continued widespread use of antibacterial agents could lead to more resistant bacteria. According to the APUA, “Many scientists feel that this is a potential danger, but others argue that the laboratory conditions used in the research studies do not represent the real world. So far, studies of antibacterial use in home products such as soap, deodorant and toothpaste have not shown any detectable development of resistance. However, such products have only been in use for a relatively short period of time and studies of their effects are still extremely limited.”

Child (2005) emphasizes that antimicrobial products and treatments “must not undermine the success of traditional hygiene methods and neither must conventional cleaning and hygiene operations be relaxed if antimicrobial coatings are employed.” 

References:

APUA. Tufts University’s Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/Practitioners/healthcare.html and http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/Q&A/Q&A_antibacterials.html

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