The term is currently used to designate either a place or a philosophy of care for persons in the last stages of life and their families. For decades there have been hospices in England, free-standing facilities unaffiliated with hospitals and autonomous in terms of professional procedures.
Antimicrobial resistance refers to the resistance of a microbial organism to a drug or an agent that was previously effective in eliminating the organism or checking its growth and multiplication. Drug resistant strains generally evolve over a period of time in nature.
Appropriate antimicrobial stewardship that includes optimal selection, dose and duration of treatment, as well as control of antibiotic use, will prevent or slow the emergence of resistance among microorganisms. A comprehensively applied infection control program will interdict the dissemination of resistant strains.