Antimicrobial Resistance: Gap between Laboratory Evidence and Clinical Practice in Pakistan

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging global challenge for healthcare systems. The emergence and spread of resistant microorganisms threaten the effectiveness of medicines used to treat bacterial infections, leading to treatment failure, longer hospital stays, and higher health care costs. Resistance is a natural process, but overuse of antimicrobials, insufficient infection prevention, and poor diagnostic and surveillance systems promote it. This means action to overcome antimicrobial resistance must be coordinated among health workers, diagnostic laboratories, policymakers, and the rest of the community. It has a huge impact worldwide. According to the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance project, bacterial antimicrobial resistance led to 1.14 million deaths and contributed to 4.71 million deaths worldwide in 2021. The results highlight the need to improve current control measures and to develop new antimicrobial drugs.