Issues in the management of resistant bacteria in long-term-care facilities.
The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the long-term-care setting and the risk to nursing home residents is still unknown. Few studies have been done in community-based nursing homes, and most have focused on colonization rather than infection rates. Concerns about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci have been expressed most often, while relatively scant attention has been paid to the problem of antibiotic resistance in gram-negative bacilli. Antibiotic resistance precautions need to be developed for nursing homes that are simple, effective, inexpensive, and recognize the unique rehabilitative and long-term custodial missions of chronic-care facilities.
Bradley
S F
SF
Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans' Affairs Health Systems, the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48105, USA.
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009735:Nursing Homes; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States