Antibiotics and Antimicrobials

This section provides links to different resources and news on antibiotics and antimicrobials. The American Medical Association has a history of involvement in important issues pertaining to antibiotics and antimicrobials and will continue to maintain such a presence via activities such as this Web site.

For example, antibiotic resistance has been a major public health concern for many years now, and the problem continues to grow as resistance appears not only in bacteria, but also in fungi, viruses, and parasites. No simple solution exists to deal with antibiotic resistance, and more scientific study is required on the myriad aspects of resistance acquisition. However, existing data suggest that control strategies can reduce the incidence of resistant bacteria and that the judicious use of antibiotics is an important component of comprehensive programs designed to reduce antibiotic resistance. Thus, this section will also address the critical matter of antibiotic resistance and thereby maintain this important public health issue on the radar screens of physicians and the public.

Antimicrobial use in agriculture and the risk it poses to human, animal, and ecological health
Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics publishes its FAAIR Report Scientific evidence on antimicrobial use in agriculture and the risk it poses to human, animal, and ecological health.

Outpatient Management of CA-MRSA Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
The American Medical Association has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) to produce this pocket guide to help facilitate outpatient management of skin and soft tissue infections in the era of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections.