The COVID-19 pandemic, rightfully, has taken up much healthcare attention worldwide in 2020 and 2021 – and it’s had an impact on our efforts for Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS). That impact has been both positive and detrimental.
On the one hand, in the urgency of the early months, AMS seemed forgotten. Patients with severe COVID-19 need to be treated both for the effects of the coronavirus and, in many cases, for secondary bacterial infections – and they needed to be treated fast! This meant that there was more indiscriminate use of antibiotics and the potential for drug resistance and multi-drug resistance to rise.
On the other hand, there’s a positive: diagnostics have become a superstar! Not to make light, but it is not insignificant that those outside the lab have begun to understand the importance of having the right tools to provide rapid, accurate information about infectious agents.
It’s a great time to promote diagnostics within your organization and reinforce the message that diagnostics support better treatment decisions and AMS, helping fight drug resistance including multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO). And there is a good reason to keep the focus on diagnostics and AMS: Growing antimicrobial resistance remains a serious global threat.
For both COVID-19 patients and others, infection control measures, including screening for resistance, remain essential. The middle- and long-term threat of drug resistance and MDRO is – today – a ticking time bomb.
Another positive: we have easily-accessible diagnostic tools to fight AMR! Case in point: the CHROMID® MDRO range offers a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution for routine and on-demand MDRO screening. With clear results, you can help improve antimicrobial treatment and stewardship decisions, while supporting specific infection control measures to help prevent the spread of infection.
The CHROMID® MDRO range includes:
- CHROMID® Colistin R Agar: A selective chromogenic agar for the screening of Enterobacteriaceae colistin-resistant micro-organisms
- CHROMID® CARBA SMART Agar: A bi-plate for screening for all carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriacae (CPE) in just one step
- CHROMID® ESBL Agar: For direct identification of the most frequently encountered ESBL-producing enterobacteriaceae
- CHROMID® ESBL / CHROMID® VRE: Bi-plate with screening of extended-Spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL) and detection and differentiation of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis showing acquired Vancomycin resistance (VRE)
- CHROMID® VRE: Specific and selective chromogenic medium for the detection and differentiation of Enterococcus faecium and faecalis showing acquired Vancomycin resistance (VRE)
- CHROMID® MRSA SMART Agar: For the screening of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Support your Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship goals
