Ensuring that best-practice approaches are applied at the point of clinical care provision is an aspect of the making sure Commission’s work – that people get the right care. The Commission explores whether clinicians have the right information to assist in providing appropriate care to patients. It also examines if this knowledge is being applied, and if not, why not. This section of Vital Signs 2016 looks at the part of the that focuses on ensuring people get the right care in a range of Commission’s work clinical areas, including understanding resistance to and appropriate use of antibiotics in Australia, and supporting the safe use of online health resources. Antimicrobial resistance and appropriate use of antibiotics Antimicrobials are medicines designed to world, including the World Health kill or slow the progress of infections, The development of resistance is a natural Organization, recognise AMR as a major especially those caused by bacteria and feature of bacterial evolution. However, as threat to public health affecting every fungi. There are many kinds of a community, we have been contributing to country.5 Australia is no exception. antimicrobials; the most common are AMR by using antimicrobials too often, antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. when they are not needed, or for the wrong The Use and Commission’s Antimicrobial There are also antifungals, antivirals and types of infection. Resistance is spreading; Resistance in Australia (AURA) anti-parasitics. These antimicrobials are once thought to be a problem only in Surveillance System, funded by the essential to modern medicine. hospitals, it is now found just as often in the Australian Government Department of community. Health, will help prevent and slow the However, antimicrobials are losing their progress of AMR by increasing effectiveness because many organisms AMR is a significant healthcare issue that understanding of how antimicrobials are that were once successfully treated by can result in medical treatments becoming being used, and of patterns and trends in antimicrobials have become resistant to more complex and expensive, and in some AMR. them. Some organisms have become patients needing to stay in hospitals longer. completely resistant to many different Some people may die because they have antimicrobials. This phenomenon is known infections that can no longer be treated. as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Many health organisations around the
Ensuring that best-practice approaches are applied at the point of clinical care provision is an aspect of the Commission’s work – making sure that people get the right care. The Commission explores whether clinicians have the right information to assist in providing appropriate care to patients. It also examines if this knowledge is being applied, and if not, why not. This section of Vital Signs 2016 looks at the part of the Commission’s work that focuses on ensuring people get the right care in a range of clinical areas, including understanding resistance to and appropriate use of antibiotics in Australia, and supporting the safe use of online health resources. Antimicrobial resistance and appropriate use of antibiotics Antimicrobials are medicines designed to kill or slow the progress of infections, especially those caused by bacteria and fungi. There are many kinds of antimicrobials; the most common are antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. There are also antifungals, antivirals and anti-parasitics. These antimicrobials are essential to modern medicine. However, antimicrobials are losing their effectiveness because many organisms that were once successfully treated by antimicrobials have become resistant to them. Some organisms have become completely resistant to many different antimicrobials. This phenomenon is known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The development of resistance is a natural feature of bacterial evolution. However, as a community, we have been contributing to AMR by using antimicrobials too often, when they are not needed, or for the wrong types of infection. Resistance is spreading; once thought to be a problem only in hospitals, it is now found just as often in the community. AMR is a significant healthcare issue that can result in medical treatments becoming more complex and expensive, and in some patients needing to stay in hospitals longer. Some people may die because they have infections that can no longer be treated. Many health organisations around the world, including the World Health Organization, recognise AMR as a major threat to public health affecting every country.5 Australia is no exception. The Commission’s Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) Surveillance System, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, will help prevent and slow the progress of AMR by increasing understanding of how antimicrobials are being used, and of patterns and trends in AMR.
Vital-Signs-2016-WORD.docx