NIAID Observes World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021

Antimicrobials such as antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungal drugs are crucial tools in the fight against disease-causing microbes. However, resistance of microbes to these life-saving medicines is a growing global public health dilemma. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 2.8 million infections and over 35,000 deaths are caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the US annually.

 
The NIAID-funded INSPIRE-ASP trial (INtelligent Stewardship Prompts to Improve Real-time Empiric Antibiotic Selection for Patients) for Intra-Abdominal and Skin and Soft Tissue Infections aims to improve the use of antibiotics in hospitals. In observance of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, the NIAID Now Blog had a discussion with the lead investigator of this trial, Dr. Shruti Gohil, Associate Medical Director of Epidemiology & Infection Prevention at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Gohil explained the significance of antibiotic stewardship on properly treating bacterial infections and combatting antibiotic resistance.