The End of the Antibiotic Era

The end of the antibiotic era

Instructions:-

Write an essay on 1 only of the following questions. Your answer should be approximately 2000 (+/- 10%) words .

Answer all parts of your chosen question.

1. “The end of the antibiotic era” is being widely predicted.

a. What do you understand by this term?

b. What factors have led to a situation in which such an era might be seriously predicted and what would be the consequences if the prediction were to come true?

c. What measures are being or might be applied at international, national, community and hospital levels to delay or prevent such an outcome?

2. The recent hospital outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections in the Republic of Korea, transmission of Ebola virus to nurses in the USA and the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Toronto, Canada, have exposed flaws in routine IPC practice, even in wellresourced hospitals in the developed world. What measures could be introduced, more stringently applied or improved to protect HCWs and the community from spread of an unexpected, serious, exotic infectious diseases and what strategies can you suggest to improve compliance?

3. There is evidence that doctors and nurses approach and comply with routine infection prevention and control measures differently.

a. What are these differences and what do you think are the reasons for them?

b. Do you think these differences have a significant impact on patient safety and, if so, in what way?

c. What measures could be undertaken to reduce the differences and improve overall adherence to IPC policies and practice?

Readings:

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