Antibioticumresistentie: epidemiologische ontwikkelingen en preventieve maatregelen

- European countries differ with regard to the occurrence of resistant micro-organisms. This indicates that the development of resistance can be influenced. Resistance levels are low in the Netherlands, but the resistance to various antibiotics is increasing.

- Factors that are known to contribute to antibiotic resistance are: the dosage and duration of antibiotic exposure and the type of antibiotic used in combination with a specific micro-organism.

- The selection pressure can be decreased by making use of antibiotics with a narrow spectrum. A new pharmacodynamic finding is that the dosage of antibiotics can be regulated in a way that minimises the selection of resistant clones.

- Implementation of national guidelines for the treatment of infections will contribute to more efficient use of antibiotics and the control of antibiotic resistance in the Netherlands.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007;151:748-52