“Most bacterium are resistant to something, very few are resistant to everything,” Matthew Avison, PhD, a senior lecturer in microbiology at University of Bristol in England, told the Bristol Post. “How to work out which is resistant or not currently can take doctors at least a day. Someone with an infection might not have a day to wait or that time could make a big difference.”
Current practices often result in physicians prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics when they are unsure of what bacteria or virus is causing an infection. These types of drugs are associated with increasing antibiotic resistance and also knocking out “good” bacteria along with whatever is causing the infection.
After the system is tested at the University of Bristol, it will be put through its paces at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. If Dr. Avison’s system produces positive results for hospital infection patients, it will likely be expanded for use across facilities in England, according to the Bristol Post.
More articles on antibiotic resistance:
Behavioral ‘nudges’ help reduce antibiotic prescriptions among physicians
CDC issues emergency advisory on severe flu cases being reported
Unbeknown to patients, drug shortages, rationing practices common in hospitals
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