Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics usually kill bacteria or stop them from growing. However, some bacteria have become resistant to specific antibiotics so the antibiotics no longer work against them. Resistant bacteria can develop when antibiotics are used too often or are not used correctly.

Follow the links below to find information about antibiotic resistance.

Reviewed May 2008

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Related HealthInsite Topics

Antibiotic Resistance and Agriculture
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about antibiotic resistance in agriculture and its effects on human health.

20 Resources Found

Results 1 to 20 displayed.

Title:	Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Publisher:	Better Health Channel
Description:	Antibiotic resistant bacteria cannot be controlled or killed by antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA or golden staph), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are serious public health problems. Avoiding unnecessary prescription of antibiotics can reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Date:	Jan 2007

Title:	Antibiotic prescribing: how can emergence of antibiotic resistance be delayed?
Publisher:	Australian Prescriber
Description:	Antibiotic use remains the primary factor in the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant organisms. The importance of minimising unnecessary exposure to antibiotics among humans and animals has been rightly emphasised by many authors.
Date:	Apr 2004

Title:	Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (EAGAR)
Publisher:	National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Description:	Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (EAGAR) provides expert advice to the Commonwealth on measures to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
Date:	Apr 2008

Title:	Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for hospital inpatients
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Antibiotics are used to treat infections, such as pneumonia, that are caused by bacteria. Over time however, many bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem for individual patients and health care systems; ...
Date:	Jul 2005

Title:	Third generation cephalosporins versus conventional antibiotics for treating acute bacterial meningitis
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Acute bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening illness. Currently the evidence suggests that old and new antibiotics offer the same level of treatment. Bacteria which cause meningitis are more likely to be resistant to conventional antibiotics, so doc...
Date:	Jun 2007

Title:	Antibiotic set to wage war on superbugs
Publisher:	myDr
Description:	A new antibiotic is set to wage war on superbugs, bacteria that have become resistant to existing antibiotics.
Date:	May 2002

Title:	Antibiotics for treating salmonella gut infections
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Antibiotic treatment of salmonella infections aims to shorten illness and prevent serious complications. There are also concerns about increasing antibiotic drug resistance.

Title:	Antibiotics (Comments for Consumers)
Publisher:	Australian Prescriber
Description:	When too many antibiotics are used bacteria become resistant to them. To stop more antibiotics becoming useless they should be used only when required. Be sure to ask your doctor how long to take them.
Date:	Apr 2004

Title:	Golden Staph - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Publisher:	Queensland Health
Description:	MRSA or 'golden staph' is the name of a strain of bacteria called Staphylococcal aureus (Staph). This bacteria is resistant to methicillin (an antibiotic) and can become resistant to other antibiotics as well. Staph is a normal bacteria found in the nose and on the skin of up to 50 percent of all healthy adults and children.
Date:	Apr 2008

Title:	Antibiotics
Publisher:	Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:	Antibiotics are among the most powerful and important medicines known. There are two main types of germs that cause illness, bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
Date:	Aug 2007

Title:	Antibiotics and children
Publisher:	myDr
Description:	Antibiotics have saved the lives of many children with serious illnesses but they are not always the answer.
Date:	Aug 2005

Title:	Antibiotic regimens for endometritis after delivery
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Inflammation of the lining of the womb (postpartum endometritis), also known as puereral fever, is caused by infection entering the womb (uterus) during childbirth. It occurs in about 1% to 3% of births, and is up to ten times more common after caesarea...
Date:	Jul 2004

Title:	Additional anti-Gram-positive antibiotic treatment for febrile neutropenic cancer patients
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Resistant Gram-positive bacteria, originating from the skin and breaks in skin integrity such as intravenous lines, have emerged as causes for infection in cancer patients. Specific antibiotics must be added to the 'standard' antibiotic regimen to cover...
Date:	Apr 2005

Title:	Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices in ambulatory care
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Antibiotics are used to treat infections, such as pneumonia or ear infections, that are caused by bacteria. Over time however, many bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. This means that even when antibiotics are taken they may fail to cure an i...
Date:	Aug 2005

Title:	Staphylococcus aureus - golden staph
Publisher:	Better Health Channel
Description:	Staphylococcus aureus, or S. aureus, is sometimes called 'golden staph'. It is a common bacterium that lives on the skin or in the nose. It can cause a range of mild to severe infections. Some strains are resistant to antibiotics.
Date:	Jan 2007

Title:	Antibacterial cleaning products
Publisher:	Better Health Channel
Description:	The overuse of antibacterial products may be producing strains of multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibacterial cleaning products are no more effective at preventing infection than good personal and household hygiene using ordinary soap, warm water and plain detergent.
Date:	Jan 2007

Title:	Antimicrobial drugs for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can cause serious infections. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) refers to strains of S. aureus that are resistant to many antibiotics including the penicillins. Hospital infection control staff want to lim...
Date:	Aug 2003

Title:	Tuberculosis notifications in Australia Annual reports
Publisher:	Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Description:	This page contains links to annual reports on tuberculosis notifications in Australia and reports on bacteriologically confirmed cases and drug resistance, produced by the Australian Mycobacterium Laboratory Reference Network from 1994. Both HTML and PDF versions are available.
Date:	Mar 2008

Title:	Infection control strategies for preventing the transmission of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nursing homes for older people
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration
Description:	MRSA is a bacterium that can cause infection in patients, particularly those who are in hospital. MRSA is now becoming a problem for older people (residents) who live in nursing homes. Nursing homes are ideal places for MRSA to spread: the residents liv...
Date:	Oct 2007

Title:	Case study - Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection
Publisher:	Australian Prescriber
Description:	Antistaphylococcal/streptococcal beta-lactam antimicrobials are currently still recommended for empiric treatment of most uncomplicated skin or soft tissue infections. However, MRSA is an increasingly important cause of these and other infections acquired in the general community.
Date:	Dec 2005

Results 1 to 20 displayed.