Optimization of Antimicrobial Treatment to Minimize Resistance Selection

Luca Guardabassi, Mike Apley, John Elmerdahl Olsen, Pierre Louis Toutain, Scott Weese

    15 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Optimization of antimicrobial treatment is a cornerstone in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Various national and international authorities and professional veterinary and farming associations have released generic guidelines on prudent antimicrobial use in animals. However, these generic guidelines need to be translated into a set of animal species- and disease-specific practice recommendations. This article focuses on prevention of antimicrobial resistance and its complex relationship with treatment efficacy, highlighting key situations where the current antimicrobial drug products, treatment recommendations, and practices may be insufficient to minimize antimicrobial selection. The authors address this topic using a multidisciplinary approach involving microbiology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, and animal husbandry. In the first part of the article, we define four key targets for implementing the concept of optimal antimicrobial treatment in veterinary practice: (i) reduction of overall antimicrobial consumption, (ii) improved use of diagnostic testing, (iii) prudent use of second-line, critically important antimicrobials, and (iv) optimization of dosage regimens. In the second part, we provided practice recommendations for achieving these four targets, with reference to specific conditions that account for most antimicrobial use in pigs (intestinal and respiratory disease), cattle (respiratory disease and mastitis), dogs and cats (skin, intestinal, genitourinary, and respiratory disease), and horses (upper respiratory disease, neonatal foal care, and surgical infections). Lastly, we present perspectives on the education and research needs for improving antimicrobial use in the future.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationAntimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria from Livestock and Companion Animals
    PublisherASM Press
    Publication date2018
    Pages637-674
    Chapter30
    ISBN (Print)9781555819798
    ISBN (Electronic)9781555819804
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2018
    SeriesMicrobiology Spectrum
    ISSN2165-0497

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