A group of Singapore researchers have discovered that short-acting antibiotics can “revolutionize“fighting ventilator-associated pneumonia, a common serious infection in patients seriously patients, by allowing a reduction in the risks of side effects and resistance to antimicrobials, all of this without compromising the patient’s health.
In depth
“To the shorten the duration of antibiotics, we can reduce the risks of side effects and resistance without compromising patient outcomes“explained the principal investigator of the clinical trial and co-author of the economic analysis, Dr. Mo Yin, from the Department of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), who has collaborated with researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (Singapore) and the Duke-NUS Medical School.
The findings of the REGARD-VAP trial have been published in the journal ‘Lancet Respiratory Medicine‘, while economic analyzes can be found in ‘Lancet Global Health’, both highlighting how prudent use of antibiotics can curb resistance, effectively safeguarding patients and combating the global threat of antimicrobial resistance, while reducing healthcare costs.
The study, which examined more than 450 intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Singapore, Thailand and Nepalhas revealed that short-term antibiotics, as long as they are “carefully” adapted to each patient’s recovery, are as effective as longer traditional treatments for prevent death and recurrence of pneumonia.
More details
Economic analyzes have shown that the adoption of short-acting antibiotics offers significant value to healthcare systems, allowing Singapore to save costs by reducing hospital expenditure while maintaining “excellent results” for patients; in Thailand and Nepal they have also been very profitable, with health gains exceeding “modest costs” additional costs incurred.
Since this approach has been effective in high-income settings (Singapore), average income (Thailand) and low income (Nepal), scientists have noted that these discoveries have “practical implications” for hospitals around the world, allowing them to speed up treatment in ICU units.
The research team has also shown his intention to be able to disseminate his findings globally to encourage the adoption of antibiotics short durationparticularly in regions with limited resources.
“Short-acting antibiotics are a pragmatic solution that benefits both patients and healthcare systems, especially in resource-limited settings,” said Associate Professor Yiying Caiprincipal investigator of the Duke-NUS Health Systems and Services Research Programme.
To take into account
To the reduce unnecessary exposure to antibiotics, short-term treatments will also help preserve the effectiveness of existing medicines for future generations, and that is that “each additional day of antibiotic use increases risk of drug resistance by seven percent“, so reducing the duration of treatment is a “fundamental” step to combat this silent epidemic.
“Judicious use of antibiotics is essential to combat antimicrobial resistance and optimize healthcare outcomes. Our findings[1] constitute a strong argument in favor of the adoption of short-acting antibiotics as the new standard of care“concluded Dr. Mo Yin.
This trial has been supported by the UK Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the National Research Foundation of Singapore, through their Central Gap Fund.
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