title: Are we facing a 'post-antibiotic era'?--a review of the literature regarding antimicrobial drug resistance.
abstract: Since the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s, antibiotic resistance has become an increasing problem. Today, multiple-antibiotic resistance is commonly associated with a number of clinically important pathogens and is therefore an important issue in clinical nursing practice. Epidemiological studies identify a number of important factors associated with increases in antimicrobial resistance. These include patterns of antimicrobial use, changes in medical and veterinary care and social practices affecting the transmission of microbes. Bacterial mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and the genetics of resistance-gene transfer are explored, with the intention of developing nurses' knowledge and understanding of control measures.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Division of Nursing, School of Nursing, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Trnobranski
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D011815:R Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents