Antimicrobial resistance represents today one of the most threatening problem in the modern medicine, since it is associated with considerable mortality. Among the causes, professor Elio Castagnola (Genoa, Italy) emphasizes the improper uso of antibiotics both in man and in the environment, and a low attitude to comply with isolation procedures within the sanitary structures.
The first strategy to contain the diffusion of resistant strains is trying to give proper antibacterial therapies to people with infections due to resistant pathogens, which involves a continuous evaluation of blood level of antibiotics.
Professor Castagnola ends with an economical consideration: a patient with an infection due to resistant pathogens can cost up to 100.000 euros to the sanitary system; in this perspective, preventive measures such as hand washing and proper isolation procedures would also have a great positive financial impact.