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Annotated Bibliography on Antibiotic Resistance

Compiled by Students in English 324, Writing in the Sciences

Fall Semester 2010

North Dakota State University

 

Agger, William A. (2002). Antibiotic resistance: Unnatural selection in the office and on the farm. Wisconsin Medical Journal, 101, 5, 12-13.

Dr. Agger discusses the use of antibiotics in the humans and livestock. He states that just as humans need to get a doctor to prescribe antibiotics, also farmers should be required to get a DVM to prescribe antibiotics for livestock. He also says the use of growth promotion antibiotics, which are supposed to be minimal as to not be detected, are being detected in sample of meats from the supermarket. His main point is that there is a need for more monitoring of growth promotion antibiotics in our food source as to avoid creating more resistances.

 

Allerberger, F., & Mittermayer, H. (2008, March). Antimicrobial stewardship. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, pp. 197-199. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2007.01929.x.

This article by Allerberger and Mittermayer talks about the use of antimicrobial management programs, also called stewardship programs, and the various reasons why they are essential to society. Managing to provide optimal treatment outcomes, to minimize resistance, and to minimize cost are amongst those included. This paper explains how resistance needs to be managed by everyone, nationally and internationally and the difficulty of it.

 

Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010, July, 19). Retrieved (October, 20, 2010) from http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/campaigns.html.


This is a web resource that provides links to various antibiotic education campaigns. These include resources about when antibiotics work, antibiotics for farm use, and MRSA.

 

Aronson, B. (2006). Antibiotic-taking experiences of undergraduate college students. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 18(12), 591-598. doi:10.1111/j.1745-7599.2006.00184.x.

Aronson , an associate professor and undergraduate coordinator at Southern Connecticut State University, discusses the experiences of undergraduate students prescribed short-term antibiotic therapies along with the factors influencing how well they adhere to their short term regime of antibiotics. The main item produced from this research was the importance of self management when it comes to taking antibiotics are prescribed, and the importance of clinicians offering methods to help ensure antibiotics are taken as prescribed.

Baker, R. (2006). Health Management with Reduced Antibiotic Use—The U.S. Experience. Animal Biotechnology, 17(2), 195-205. Retrieved from E-Journals database.

Baker provides an overview of the history of antimicrobials and their use in agriculture. His main focus is on the pork industry going in depth on the new antimicrobial-free production methods and the benefits and problems that are involved. He states the challenges that occur with this which include animal health issues as well as economic and producer factors.

 

Beigi, R., & Hanrahan, J. (2007). Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA Colonization Rates Among Gravidas Admitted to Labor and Delivery: A Pilot Study. Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology , 1-4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.


This article discussed the rates of pregnant women entering into MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. It provided a sample of pregnant women entering into the hospital preparing for delivery of 96 women represent 3.5% percent of the population. Primarily the article identified itself as the first study of nasal colonization rates in nearly 30 years. It also touched upon the rates of CA-MRSA strains in the general population compared to this study.

 

Bennett, P. M. (2008). Plasmid encoded antibiotic resistance: Acquisition and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria. British Journal of Pharmacology, 153, S347-
S357.


This article is a review of how bacteria become resistant and transfer their resistance to other bacteria. The author describes plasmids, transposons, integrons, and gene cassettes in great detail.

 

Berzanskyte, A., Valinteliene, R., Haaijer-Ruskamp, F., Gurevicius, R., & Grigoryan, L. (2006). Self-medication with antibiotics in Lithuania. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 19(4), 246-253. Retrieved from PsycINFO database.

This study, focusing specifically on Lithuania residents, gathered data on the prevalence of antibiotic use in the population specifically self-medication of antibiotics. The results illustrated that individuals in managerial, executive and professional occupations used antibiotics without prescription 8.38 more often than retired people, and rural individuals used non prescribed antibiotics 1.79 more often than urban individuals, illustrating that occupation and place of residence had an impact on antibiotic misuse within Lithuania.

Blázquez, J., Antonio Oliver, A., & Gómez, J. (2002). Mutation and Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance: Antibiotics as Promoters of Antibiotic Resistance?. Current Drug Targets, 3(4), 345-349. Retrieved from E-Journals database.

This review discusses various methods on how bacteria develop resistance against antibiotics which include horizontal transference and hypermutability. This article goes into depth on the aspect of hypermutability and talks about its importance of its contribution to resistance. This paper in conclusion analyzes how antibiotics have the potential to select and/or promote resistance.

 

Blue, L., (2010, August, 16). The end of antibiotics?. Time Healthland. Retrieved (October, 20, 2010) from http://healthland.time.com/2010/08/16/the-end-of-antibiotics/.


This resource is a web article put out by Time magazine’s health section that discusses antibiotic resistance. Blue explains resistance and discusses antibiotic misuse with the potential for antibiotics to one day be rendered completely ineffective. The author also incorporates guidelines for proper use of antibiotics.

Boni, M.F., Feldman, M.W. (2005). Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance by Human and Bacterial Niche Construction. Evolution, Vol. 59, (No. 3), 477-491


Boni and Feldman investigate how host and pathogen conditions, particularly behavior, build niches that drive the evolution of antibiotic resistance.

 

Borysowski, J.. (2008, Sep). Is phage therapy acceptable in the immunocompromised host?. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 12(5), 466-471. from Science Direct


This article examines the safety of phage therapy, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The article discusses the possible negative interactions with the immune system, and the safety of the therapy compared to its effectiveness.

Bottemiller, Helena. (2010, April 19). Debate over antibiotic use continues. Food Safety News. Retrieved from www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/04/debate-over-antibiotics-in-animal-ag-continues/.


Highlights the politics of eliminating non-theraputic antibiotic use in our food source, as it has been linked to several types of antibiotic resistances spread through the food source.

 

Buck, J. M., Como-Sabetti, K., Harriman, K. H., Danila, R. N., Boxrud, D. J., Glennen, A., et al. (2005, October). Community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Minnesota, 2000-2003. Emerging Infectious Diseases , pp. 1532-1538. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.


This article fits more into the research I am conducting while many others will provide comparison data. This study focused on 12 sentinel hospitals in Minnesota and their reported positive MRSA cultures between 2000 and 2003. It's focus was on the rates of CA-MRSA reported during the study range from new admissions to the 12 sentinel hospitals and discussed if CA-MRSA was more common among invasive disease patients compared to their isolates.

 

Burgess, C. (2003). Another Hazard for Farmers. Environmental Health Perspectives, 111(13), A717. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This article talks about yet another way antibiotic resistance on farms can be passed to their human caretakers. German researchers have documented a potential route of resistant bacteria transferring in the dust that is inside enclosed buildings on farms. Some of these drugs used on farms have even been detected in ground water and rivers!

Cadieux, G., Tamblyn, R., Dauphinee, D., & Libman, M. (2007). Predictors of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing among primary care physicians. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 177(8), 877-883. doi:10.1503/cmaj.070151.

This article studied a historical collection of primary care physicians and evaluated if inappropriate antibiotic prescribing behaviors had occurred during their first six to nine years of practice. This study found that inappropriate antibiotic prescription tended to increase over the time the physicians were in practice and physicians with a higher volume of patients were more likely to inappropriately prescribe antibiotics.


Canton, R. (2008). Antibiotic resistance genes from the environment: A perspective through newly identified antibiotic resistance mechanisms in clinical setting. European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 15, 20-25.

In this article the authors consider soil bacteria’s role in antibiotic resistance. They find that bacteria from the soil may have the genetic capability to contribute to antibiotic resistance. In response they call for the use of metagenomic tools and phylogenetic analysis to identify these antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Carmody, L. A. (2010, Jan). Efficacy of bacteriophage therapy in a model of Burkholderia cenocepacia pulmonary infection. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 201(2), 264-271. from Medline


This article studies the therapeutic potential for bacteriophages in a mouse model of acute Burkholderia cenocepacia pulmonary infection.

 

Chang , L. (2010, February 25). Mrsa slideshow: a closer look at mrsa. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and- treatments/slideshow-closer-look-at- mrsa?ecd=ppc_google_whatismrsa_Skin_MRSA-%09Overview++Facts++EducationandCauses_search&gclid=COmR54LKg%09KUCFY4B5wodmiYb8Q

A website in slideshow form that takes a close look at MRSA. It describes symptoms, how and who is infected, diagnosis and treatment, and MRSA in hospitals.

Chhibber, S. (2008). Therapeutic potential of bacteriophage in treating Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055-mediated lobar pneumonia. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 57 pp. 1508-1513.


This article discusses the study of the use of bacteriophages to treat the multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia infection in mice. The mice were treated with an intranasal inoculation of the bacteria, then a dose of the bacteriophage treatment at varying times.

 

Cole, E.C., Addison, R.M., Rubino, J.R., Leese, K.E. Dulaney, M.S., Wilkins, J., Gaber, D.J., Wineinger, T., & Criger, D.A. (2003). Investigation of antibiotic and antibacterial agent cross-resistance in target bacteria from homes of antibacterial  product users and nonusers. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 95, 665-676.

This study compared the occurrence of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic susceptibility in homes that either used antibacterial agents such as cleaning or hygiene products. Results indicated that homes of individuals who did not use antibacterial products had a greater amount of bacteria present. Additionally, there were no significant differences found between households of users and nonusers in regards to antibiotic resistance or susceptibility.

 

Controlling Antibiotics And Antibiotic Resistance In Hospitals. Indiana University (2006, October 12). ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061010022439.htm

Website that contains an article that states, with evidence, that hospitals that follow specific guidelines have lower reported cases of resistant bacteria. It also briefly describes the three philosophies used when prescribing antibiotics.

 

Couric, K. (2010, February 9). Animal Antibiotic Overuse Hurting Humans? Katie Couric Investigates Feeding Healthy Farm Animals Antibiotics. Is it Creating New Drug-Resistant Bacteria? CBS Evening News. New York, New York. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/09/eveningnews/main6191530.shtml?source=related_story&tag=related.

Katie Couric, the CBS Evening News anchor, talks with employees at a hatchery in Arkansas who suffered from MSRA. She also interviews Shelley Hearne who has studied the health effects of factory farming for 25 years, Liz Wagstrom who is a veterinarian with the National Pork Board, Joshua Sharfstein who is the deputy director of the FDA, as well as a couple more hog farm workers. They discuss the emerging health crisis of drug resistant bacteria.

 

Davis, A., & Whyte, J. (2008). A community health nursing approach to the problem of antibiotic over-prescribing. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 25(3), 161-174. doi:10.1080/07370010802221792.

This article discusses the results an experiment focusing on the effects of a nurse lead program focusing on decreasing the inappropriate prescription of antibiotics. The study reflects on the before and after behaviors of clinicians prescribing antibiotics and shows promising results such as a decrease in broad spectrum antibiotic prescription after the ‘intervention’ program.

 

Dehnel, T. (2010). Reacting to antibiotic resistance. Lancet Infections Diseases, Vol.10 (Issue 11), p.746-746.

This article explains the need for stronger antibiotics and about the high cost to find these new antibiotics.

Dibner, J.J., Richards, J.D. (2005). Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Agriculture: History and Mode of Action. 84(4), 634-643. Retrieved from http://ps.fass.org/cgi/reprint/84/4/634.

This review by authors, Dibner and Richards, is a thorough overview of the history of antibiotic growth promoters used in livestock, concerns about development of antimicrobial resistance, and response taken in the European Union and United States
to these concerns.

Drovers news source. (2010, January 11). Misguided, biased reporting on livestock antibiotics. Retrieved from http://www.drovers.com/news_editorial.asppgID=675&ed_id=6714.

The Animal Agricultural Alliance (AAA) was upset with the Associated Press article titled "Pressure Rises to Stop Antibiotics in Agriculture." Released on Dec. 29. The AAA stated that the article is biased and portrayed America’s food producers in a negative way. They bring up the biases discussed in the article and explain the other side.

 

E. coli. (2010, March 16). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/

This website serves as the CDC’s information hub for E. Coli. It contains links to background information, a questions and answers section, and also a current news section.

 

Emanuele, P. (2010). Antibiotic resistance. AAOHN Journal, 58(9), 363-365. doi:10.3928/08910162-20100826-03.

Emanuele is an occupational health care registered nurse who provides an educational journal article from the perspective of a health care worker. Although she mainly focuses on the misuse of antibiotics in health care which contribute to resistance, she provides relevant background for our topic by establishing how real this resistance problem is! She talks about the general history of antibiotic development before going into detail about proper precautions that should be taken in a health care setting providing a helpful overview of this topic.

Enright, Mark C. et al. (2002). The evolutionary history of methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus (MRSA). The National Academy of Sciences. 99, 11, 7687-7692 doi:10.1073/pnas.122108599.

Article goes through the first report of MRSA and its ability to cross seas to infect many populations and become a worldwide epidemic. The origin is not totally understood because there is no rational nomenclature. Also there are many versions and no one yet knows how many.

 

Farra, A., Ransjö, U., Gårdlund, B., Settergren, B., & Kalin, M. (2003). Different trends in antibiotic resistance rates at a university teaching hospital. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 9(5), Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This is a report on a 12 year study that was done at a university teaching hospital. The ICU’s were monitored for resistant bacteria and reported. The numbers show the slight rise of resistance. Within the report there is also a graphical table that lists all of the resistant bacteria found over the 12 year study. It lists them in order of prevalence, which includes the total number and the percentage that number represents.

 

Ferber, Dan. (2010). From pigs to people: The emergence of a new superbug. Science, 329, 5995, 1010-1111 doi: 10.1126/science.329.5995.1010

This article gives the history of when and where MRSA ST398 was first discovered, and leads into some of the more pressing topics surrounding MRSA. The first being the use of non-theraputic doses of antibiotics in livestock and it longterm ramifications. The difference between community acquired MRSA and hospital acquired is explained and then applied to ST398, as it is an community acquired strain, that has created many problems in and outside of hospitals.

 

Fischetti, V. A. (2008, Oct). Bacteriophage lysins as effective antibacterials. Current Opinions in Microbiology. 11(5), 393-400. from PubMed


This article discusses the potential applications of bacterophage lysins in antibacterial therapy. Lysins are enzymes produced by bacteriophage and break down the bacterial cell wall.

Friedman, D., Kanwat, C., Headrick, M., Patterson, N., Neely, J., & Smith, L. (2007). Importance of Prudent Antibiotic Use on Dairy Farms in South Carolina: A Pilot Project on Farmers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices. Zoonoses & Public Health, 54(9/10), 366-375. doi:10.1111/j.1863-2378.2007.01077.x.

This research study was completed in response to an increasing prevalence of transference of resistant bacteria from farm animals to human farm workers. It was done in North Carolina to assess farmers’ knowledge and attitudes relating to antibiotic use in livestock. It discussed how farmers determined their need for antibiotic use and also pinpointed areas of need for additional education. The research in this article took on many methods including surveys, interviews and visits which I thought made its data very inclusive. It drew to my attention the barriers to information relating to farmers’ language preferences, finances and lack of time which I found concerning.

 

Goforth, R., & Goforth, C. (2000). Appropriate Regulation of Antibiotics in Livestock Feed. Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, 28(1), 39. Retrieved from EBSCO MegaFILE database.

This article analyzes research on the use of antibiotics at subtherapeutic levels in livestock feed and its linkage to resistance. It concludes that the risk to human health is greater than the economic benefit proving a need for a change in policy. The author proposes methods to minimize the spread of resistance which include cutting out antibiotics in feed as well as refusing to approve new drugs for subtheraputic uses.

 

Good, K. (2008). The Scary Side of " Safe" Drugs. Cosmopolitan, Vol.244 (Issue 4), p. 244-248.

This Article warns that the mixing of prescriptions can be harmful or even fatal.

 

Goossens, H., Ferech, M., Stichele, R.V., Elseviers, M. (2005). Outpatient antibiotic use in Europe and association with resistance: A cross-national database study. Lancet, 365, 579-587.

This article reported the findings of a study compiling antibiotic distribution data from 26 European countries. The authors found that the countries that prescribed a greater amount of antibiotics showed increased rates of antibiotic resistance.

 

Gould F. Kate et al (2009) Guidelines (2008) for the prophylaxis and treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the United Kingdom. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 63, 849-861 doi:10.1093/jac/dkp065

The article discusses the different sites of infection that MRSA can inhabitate, and the different ways of treating it with a variety of antibiotics. Vancomycin seemed to be one of the best options for fighting MRSA, but resistances have been developed against vancomycin as well in some areas of the world and as a result the use of more extreme treatments/doses of antibiotics have been used to treat MRSA depending on the infection site(s).

 

Gutierrez, D. (2010, October 22). Antibiotics used in meat pose a threat to public health, admits FDA. Natural News. Retrieved from
http://www.naturalnews.com/030132_antibiotics_meat.html.


Staff writer of Natural News, David Gutierrez, interviews FDA Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein on antibiotics used in livestock and how it’s affecting the health of the public. They also discuss the draft of new guidelines issued by the FDA urging meat producers to refrain from using antibiotics to promote livestock growth. Also included in this article are comments from the public about these recommendations.

Haltiwanger, K., Hayden, G., Weber, T., Evans, B., & Possner, A. (2001). Antibiotic-seeking behavior in college students: What do they really expect?. Journal of American College Health, 50(1), 9-13. doi:10.1080/07448480109595705.

This article summarizes the findings of a study conducted by Haltiwanger et. al within a large university in central Virginia with the goal of evaluating the level of antibiotic-seeking behaviors of college students. The article highlights that despite higher levels of education found in college students antibiotic misuse was still found and students still sought antibiotics despite knowing they were inappropriate to help their illnesses.

Hawkings, N., Butler, C., & Wood, F. (2008). Antibiotics in the community: A typology of user behaviours. Patient Education and Counseling, 73(1), 146-152. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2008.05.025.

The purpose of the study performed within this paper was to contribute to the understand and beliefs about antibiotics and the typology of antibiotics user behaviors. This study found that the public is confident about the safety and efficacy of antibiotics and although most take antibiotics are prescribed there is still a large range of other individuals who unintentionally and intentionally exhibit non-adherent behaviors. As a results this article stresses the importance of promoting public engagement in the control of antibiotic resistance through education and alternative solutions.

 

Hektoen,L., Larsen, S.,Ødegaard,S.A., & Løken, T. (2004). Comparison of Homeopathy, Placebo and Antibiotic Treatment of Clinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows – Methodological Issues and Results from a Randomized-clinical Trial. Journal of Veterinary Medicine, A (51), 439–446. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This article dealt with a clinical study upon dairy cattle looking at the differences in effectiveness of homeopathic, placebo, and antibiotic treatments. The study concluded with little difference between the three treatments at day 7 and only slight differences between antibiotic and homeopathic regimes at day 28.

 

Herper, M. (2006, March 1). The most dangerous bacteria. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/01/antibiotics-pfizer-cubist- cx_mh_0301badbugs.html

Website that includes a list of the top 6 most dangerous “bugs”. Along with the list, there is a link to a slideshow that contains pictures of each of the bacteria, and each picture includes a brief description.

 

Hoogenboom, L., Bokhorst, J., Northolt, M., de Vijver, L., Broex, N., Mevius, D., et al. (2008). Contaminants and microorganisms in Dutch organic food products: a comparison with conventional products. Food Additives & Contaminants Part A, 25(10), 1195-1207. Retrieved from E-Journals database.

This article is a study on the analysis of the presence of contaminants, microorganisms, and antibiotic resistance on organic versus conventional products. It was found that the organic products scored equally as well as conventional products did on food safety. The conclusion was that organic farming could provide promising advancements in regards to antibiotic resistance reduction.

 

Hung, D. T., Kaufman, B. B. (2010). The Fast Track to Multidrug Resistance. Molecular Cell, Vol.37 (Issue 3), p.297-298.

This article explains the process by which bacteria become resistant.

 

Istúriz R.E., Carbon, C. (2000). Antibiotic Use in Developing Countries. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 21, (No. 6), 394-397.


In this article, Istúriz and Carbon discuss the conditions favoring antibiotic resistance in developing countries and encourage education, surveillance, and socioeconomic improvements.

 

JAMA and Archives Journals. (2010, August 12). Rate of Health Care Associated MRSA Infections Decreasing, Study Finds. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from Science Daily: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100910163447.htm


This was a population based study led by Alexander J. Kallen, M.D., M.P.H. conducted from 2005 to 2008. It addressed the rates of MRSA rates in 9 unidentified metropolitan areas in the United States. It looks to identify the decreasing rates of both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA at their study sites. This article will also provide comparative data against the rates in Minnesota and North Dakota.


Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. (2010, March 26). Community-Acquired MRSA Becoming More Common in Pediatric ICU Patients. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from Science Daily: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100326101321.htm


This study lead by Aaron Milestone, M.D., M.H.S. and focused on the rate increase of MRSA cases among pediatric admissions at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 2007 and 2008. It also addressed the rates of CA-MRSA in the cultures taken from 1,674 pediatric clients versus HA-MRSA.

 

Jutzi, S. (2204). Antibiotics growth-promoters in food animals. In Assessing quality and safety of animal feeds (129-149). Retrieved from
http://books.google.com/bookshl=en&lr=&id=50He6gIBcKYC&oi=fnd&pg=PA129&dq=antibiotic+resistance+used+in+livestock+harmful+to+farmers&ots=v6OzDYGBXu&sig=R16x9l7hc99z8pWWQB5soksvKvk#v=onepage&q&f=false.


This book includes a paper about the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock. It goes over the benefits of this as well as discusses alternative options to improve the quality of meat.

 

Kaye, D. (2006). Community-Acquired MRSA among HIV-Infected Patients Rapidly Rising. Clinical Infectious Diseases , 43. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.


This was a short article providing information on the rates of MRSA rates among HIV-Infected patients. It studied reported CA-MRSA cases reported at an HIV clinic in California and compares the rates reported in 2002, between 2003 and 2005 and after 2005. It provides excellent comparative data against infectious disease patient rates reported in Minnesota and North Dakota.



Khachatourians, G.G., (1998). Agricultural use of antibiotics and the evolution and transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 159(9), 1129-1136. Retrieved from http://www.ecmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/159/9/1129.

In this review, the author examines the trends in antibiotic use in livestock and agriculture. He describes how resistance evolves along with the genetic mechanisms that create resistance and facilitate its spread among bacterial species. He emphasizes certain aspects of bacterial resistance that are common in both animals and humans. He also goes over control measures that may help to reduce this rise in resistance.

 

Klevens, R. M., Morrison, M. A., Nadle, J., Petit, S., Gershman, K., Ray, S., et al. (2007, October 17). Invasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in the United States. The Journal of the American Medical Association , 298 (15), pp. 1763-1771. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.


This article reports surveillance of 9 US communities and looked at reported rates from July 2004 and December 2005. This article does provide information of where the surveillance sites were and the individual reported cases from each site. In addition to their study, they compare the reported findings with the national rates reported by the Center for Disease Control.

 

Kollef, M. H., (2006). Is antibiotic cycling the answer to preventing the emergence of bacterial resistance in the intensive care unit? Clinical Infectious Diseases, 43, S82-
S88.


This article reviewed the use of antibiotic cycling as a reduction technique for antibiotic resistance. Additionally, they discussed using other methods such as shorter courses of antibiotics or using antibiotics with narrow-spectrums. The authors concluded that a combination of techniques should be used to decrease the rate of antibiotic resistance in intensive care units.

 

Kropinski, A. M. (2006, Sep). Phage Therapy- Everything Old is New Again. Medical Microbiology. 17(5), 297-306. from PubMed


This article introduces the reader to phage therapy and discusses some of the applications as well as pitfalls of the use of phages to treat infections. This article also discusses some of the history behind phage therapy and its potential role in healthcare in the future.


Kumar, K., Gupta, S.C., Baidoo, S.K., Chander, Y., Rosen, C.J. (2005). Antibiotic Uptake by Plants from Soil Fertilized with Animal Manure. Journal of Environmental Quality. 34(6), 2082-2085. doi: 10.2134/jeq2005.0026.

The authors conducted a study to determine whether or not plants absorbed antibiotics from manure when grown in manure-applied soil. Organic farmers heavily use manure, so the authors are trying to find out the potential human health risks associated with food grown in antibiotic rich manure.

Kumar, R., Indira, K., Rizvi, A., Rizvi, T., & Jeyaseelan, L. (2008). Antibiotic prescribing practices in primary and secondary health care facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 33(6), 625-634. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2710.2008.00960.x.

The study within this article focused on the rate of antibiotic prescription among common patient illnesses and various diseases specifically in Uttar Pradesh, India. The study found that the overall prescription rate of antibiotics was 81.8% and that the presence of a fever prompted antibiotic prescription across the board. Also this study found that staff with higher qualifications and more chances to continue their study of new materials was associated with a lower rate of antibiotic prescription.

 

Leibovici, L., Soares-Weiser, K., Paul, M., Goldberg, E., Herxheimer, A., & Garner, P. (2003). Considering resistance in systematic reviews of antibiotic treatment. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 52, 564-571.

This article examined the inclusion of antibiotic resistance in systematic reviews and meta-analyses on antimicrobial therapy. The authors concluded that only 40% of articles included antibiotic resistance in their discussion, 9% used antibiotic resistance in their data collection. They concluded with a call for more studies to examine the occurrence of antibiotic resistance during antimicrobial therapy.

 

Lessing, A. (2010). Killy Us Softly: How Sub-therapeutic Dosing of Livestock Causes Drug-Resistant Bacteria in Humans. Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, 37(2), 463-491. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This review by Lessing is a very comprehensive overview of the progression of subtherapeutic antibiotic use and its link to human resistance to various bacteria. It goes over why these drugs are used on farms and how the FDA has tried on various occasions to regulate their use. The author would like to see a petition put into place to limit this drug use in farm animals and is pushing for an end to this occurrence.

 

Letkiewicz, S.. (2010, Nov). The perspectives of the application of phage therapy in chronic bacterial prostatitis. Fems Immunology and Medical Microbiology. 60(2), 99-112. from ISA Web of Knowledge


This article studies the application of bacteriophage therapy to a specific infection, prostatitis, which has otherwise limited treatment options because of multi-drug resistance and high relapse rate for the infection.

 

Levy, S.B., (2001). Antibiotic Resistance: Consequences of Inaction. Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol. 33, (Supplement 3), S124-S129


Levy discusses antibiotic resistance as an ecological issue and promotes improved use of antibiotics to counter resistance at local levels and ultimately globally.

Levy, S.B., (1983). Antibiotic Resistance. Infection Control, Vol. 4, (No. 4), 195-197.


In this editorial article, Levy discusses the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and notes international organizations working to fight antibiotic resistance.

 

Light, J. (2004). Working to Keep Antibiotics Working. Multinational Monitor, Vol.25 (Issue 1/2), p.24-36.

This article suggests that Agribusiness is also to blame for antibacterial resistance, and it describes laws that govern the use of antibiotics in live stock feed.

McDermott, P., Zhao, S., Wagner, D., Simjee, S., Walker, R., & White, D. (2002). The Food Safety Perspective of Antibiotic Resistance. Animal Biotechnology, 13(1), 71-84. Retrieved from E-Journals database.

The authors of this article discuss in great detail the current increase in concern regarding therapeutic and subtheraputic antibiotic use in animals in relation to antibiotic resistance. The idea portrayed throughout this paper is that there are substantial information gaps and it is unknown whether or not the correlation between antibiotic use in animals and the increase in resistance is significant enough to further regulation and restriction of antibiotic use. What is know is that bacteria of human and animal origin are becoming increasingly resistant and further studies are essential for society’s welfare.

McEwen, S. (2006). Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture: What Have We Learned and Where are We Going?. Animal Biotechnology, 17(2), 239-250. doi:10.1080/10495390600957233.

The author McEwen recognizes the importance of antibiotic use for the treatment of disease in animals. The effectiveness of their use has come into speculation as their use is becoming more and more common. This not only affects the use in animals, but studies have possibly shown these resistant bugs transferring to humans making drug treatments less successful with the use of stronger antibiotics. Although the WHO and FDA have made proposals to encourage more conservative use, the author recommends that a more specific plan is needed and that more scientific research is needed to prove these allegations or increase prudency on farms.

 

McKenna, Maryn. (2009, January 23) A new strain of drug-resistant staph infection found in U.S. pigs. Scientific American. Retrieved from www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-drug-resistant-mrsa-in-pigs/index.htm

This paper investigates of MRSA strain ST398’s arrival into the United States and its spread to various pig farm operations. The ST398 strain was found to be able to transfer across specie lines, infecting humans and causing a variety of complications including death in extreme cases.

Mahady, G. (2005). Medicinal Plants for the Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Infections. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 11(19), 2405-2427. Retrieved from Academic Premier Search database.

This article is primarily a resource for bringing centuries of remedies and the vast array of recent research into the viability of such remedies together to form a starting point from which to branch off into specific areas of alternative medicine.

 

Malik, R.. (2009, Apr). Protection with bacteriophage KO1 against fatal Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced burn wound infection in mice. Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection. 42(2), 134-140. from ISA Web of Knowledge


This article examines the use of bacteriophage therapy to control Klebsiella pneumonia infection in burn wound infections. K. psneumonia is the most predominant pathogen associated with burn wound infections, and is associated with considerable mortality.

Mancini, I., Defant, A., & Guella, G. (2007)Recent Synthesis of Marine Natural Products with Antibacterial Activities. Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 6, 17-48. Retrieved from Academic Premier database.

This article review focused on the multitude of emerging substances from marine environments from 2000- 2007 that have been found to possess antibacterial properties. These findings were condensed into a single source that collected the past studies in order to offer potential ideas for new antibiotics and remedies.

Martin, K. & Ernst, E. (2003) Herbal medicines for treatment of bacterial infections: a review of controlled clinical trials. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 51 (2), 241-246. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkg087.

This article summarizes the findings of various studies as well as the retest results of the effectiveness of various natural remedies. The results showed three remedies as ineffective, one as slightly effective, and three remedies as equally as effective as antibiotic treatments.

 

Mason, M. and Mendoza, M. (2009). Drug-resistant infections lurk in meat we eat: Animals routinely fed antibiotics harbor virulent germs that jump to people. The Associated Press. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34614380.

The authors interviewed a pig farmer, Russ Kramer, who was diagnosed with a strep infection in his leg after being stabbed in the knee by his boar. It took two months to find an antibiotic that would cure him. His pigs were raised on antibiotics and they were all resistant to the same antibiotics as their caregiver, Russ. Another farmer was also interviewed as well as a doctor about antibiotic use in livestock.

 

Metlay, J., Shea, J., Crossette, L., & Asch, D. (2002). Tensions in Antibiotic Prescribing: Pitting Social Concerns Against the Interests of Individual Patients. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 17(2), 87-94. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2002.10711.x.

This study focused specifically on the patterns of antibiotic prescription for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and how attitudes towards antibiotics and antibiotic resistance would affect these patterns. This study found that despite all of the information provided to the public about the continuing problem with antibiotic resistance, antibiotic resistance does not surface as a strong factor for physicians prescribing antibiotics for CAP.

 

Matsuda, T.. (2005, Jun). Lysis-deficient bacteriophage therapy decreases endotoxin and inflammatory mediator release and improves survival in a murine peritonitis model. Surgury. 137(6), 639-546. from ScienceDirect


This article discusses lysis-deficient (LyD) phages that kill bacteria without lysing it, thus not releasing endotoxin. The experiment studies the effects of A3 T4 LyD on bacterial peritonitis in mice.

 

Minnesota Department of Health. (2003-2009). Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 2003-2009. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division. Retrieved from www.health.state.mn.us


This is a collection of reports from 2003-2009 from the Minnesota Department of Health. It provides detailed information of the various rates of CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA from each corresponding year from 2003-2009. In addition to the current rates, it addresses any increases or decreases from each study from the two previous years. The information provided from these reports will provide a significant amount of information for my project.

Mlot, C. (2000). Antidotes for Antibiotic Use on the Farm. Bioscience, 50(11), 955. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This science writer discusses how farmers are looking to alternatives to antibiotic use on their farms. Because the needs for these medications on farms are so extensive, the resistance problem encourages the search for alternatives, especially the use of antibiotics as growth promoters. She goes into detail about the problems and illnesses that have produced fluoroquinolone and vancomycin resistant bacteria and her examples include salmonella and enterococci. The alternatives to antimicrobial use in this article include separation of sick animals, careful handling, hygienic practices and vaccine use to prevent infections. Mlot also included additional references to plans of the WHO and FDA in her article.

 

Moon, H.I. & Sim, J. (2008). Antimalarial activity in mice of resveratrol derivative from Pleuropterus ciliinervis. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology, 102 (5), 447–450. Retrieved from Academic Premier Search database.

This article studied the anti-malarial properties of methanol extracts from Pleuropterus ciliinervis roots and compared the effectiveness of doses of these extracts versus that of commonly used pharmaceuticals. It was shown that the extracts in high doses work just as well as pharmaceutical treatment.

 

MRSA infection. Mayoclinic.com. Retrieved from http://www.mayoClinic.com/health/mrsa/ds00735

Overview of MRSA with its disease course, symptoms and treatments are described in this report from Mayo Clinic. Also included are descriptions of staph and antibiotic resistance ands how they are acquired.

Nakajima, S., Fujita, K., Inoue, Y.. Nishio, M., & Seto, Y. (2006). “Effect of Folk Remedy, Bainiku-akisu, a Concentrate of Prunus mume Juice, on Helicobacter pylori Infection in Humans.” Helicobacter 11 (6), 589-591. Retrieved from Academic Premier Search database.

This study was conducted to examine the antibiotic properties of Bainiku-ekisu and effectiveness in treating H. pylori bacteria. Though slight improvements were seen with the remedy, lasting effects will depend on further research into an appropriate clinical regimen.

 

Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center. (n.d.) Guide to Nutritional and Herbal Remedies. http://www.all-natural.com/herbnutr.html

This website chronicles the multiple herbal remedies used to treat ailments of every shape and size. Several remedies mention anti-bacterial properties.

 

Nelson, J., Kusmiesz, H., Jackson, L., & Woodman, E. (1980). Treatment of Salmonella Gastroenteritis with Ampicillin Amoxicillin, or Placebo. Pediatrics, 65(6), 1125. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This article documented a study focused on the recovery from uncomplicated salmonella gastroenteritis using regimens of amoxicillin, ampicillin, or a placebo in infants and children. This study found that antibiotics had no greater effectiveness in the treatment of the condition. Furthermore, antibiotic treatments were found to increase the likelihood of relapse.

 

Normark, B. H., & Normark, S. (2002). Evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. Journal of Internal Medicine, 252, 91-106.

This article is a review of antibiotic resistance. The authors discuss the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, they discuss how antibiotic resistance is spread including self-replicating plasmids, prophages, transposons, integrons, and resistance islands. This article is a general overview of these phenomena.

 

North Dakota Department of Health. (2010). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Retrieved October 7, 2010, from North Dakota Department of Health Disease Control: www.ndhealth.gov/disease/info/mrsa.aspx


This is another significant source of information for my project. This report provides the reported rates of MRSA within North Dakota for the previous decade. The primary focus of the article were the rates of MRSA reported in 2009 by individual counties within North Dakota and also broke the 2009 reported cases down by age group and gender as well.

 

 

Novel non-Antibiotic Anti-infective Successfully Treats Impetigo Patients Including 100% Infected with MRSA. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205703.php

This article talks about the new drug class being developed by a Pharmaceutical Company in California that is thought to possibly be able to replace antibiotics, and help with the problem of drug resistances.

 

OTC lotion matches antibiotics in treating acne. (2005). Cortlandt Forum, 18(2), 22. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

This article summarized a study focused on comparing the effectiveness of OTC benzoyl peroxide versus antibiotics minocycline and tetracycline in treating acne. The results of this study showed that though a combination of both an OTC and an antibiotic provide the most improvement, the OTC alone performed just as well as an antibiotic.

 

Phillips, I., Casewell, M., Cox, T., Groot, B.D., Frii, C. (2004). Does the use of antibiotics in food animals pose a risk to human health? A critical review of published data. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 53(1), 28-52. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkg483.

The authors wrote this article as an overview of already published studies. The purpose of this review was to educate The Animal Health Institute on scientific aspects of antibiotic use in livestock and also to consult pharmaceutical companies on the use of antibiotics in animals and humans. They discuss specific cases of zoonotic salmonellosis, campylobacter, and Escherichia coli.

 

Riccardi, F., Noce, A., Falco, S., Giudiceandrea, P., Palombi, L., PanàSource, A. (1997). Surveillance of Infections in Hospital: Agents and Antibiotic-Resistance. European Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 13, (No. 2) 217-221.


Riccardi and colleagues investigate antibiotic resistance in hospitals through the use of surveillance systems. The authors argue these systems are necessary for limiting hospital acquired infections.

Robicsek, A., Beaumont, J. L., Paule, S. M., Hacek, D. M., Thomson Jr, R. B., Kaul, K. L., et al. (2008). Universal Surveillance for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 3 Affiliated Hospitals. Annals of Internal Medicine , 148 (6), 409-418. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.


This was a very extensive article surveying a 3 hospital system, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, Illinois, for MRSA rates reported throughout 3 consecutive periods. It compared MRSA rates reported during different time periods to look at any increases or decreases in the reported cases.

 

S. aureus and mrsa surveillance summary. (2010, August 3). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/library/MRSA-Surveillance-Summary.html

A brief website by the CDC describing the prevalence of MRSA infections in US hospitals. The article then describes the burdens that invasive MRSA infections is putting on the hospitals in this country.


Sabes-Figuera, R., Segú, J., Puig-Junoy, J., & Torres, A. (2008). Influence of bacterial resistances on the efficiency of antibiotic treatments for community-acquired pneumonia. The European Journal of Health Economics, 9(1), 23-32. doi:10.1007/s10198-006-0019-0.

This paper analyzes oral antibiotic use in Spain for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This article specifically discusses the cost-effectiveness of the use of certain antibiotics and how the cost-effectiveness influences the antibiotics being used within communities and whether the appropriate antibiotics are being used because of this influence.

Salyers, A. (2002). An Overview of the Genetic Basis of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria and Its Implications for Agriculture. Animal Biotechnology, 13(1), 1-5. Retrieved from E-Journals database.

Salyers provides us in this article an overview of the genetic functions bacteria posses that provide them with the capability to develop resistance to antibiotics. It is discussed how this is a complex process and includes various methods including mutation and horizontal gene transfer. It is summarized that prudent antibiotic guidelines and regulations in agriculture must be defined just like those made my physicians to minimize resistance effects.

Schmidt, C. (2002). Antibiotic Resistance in Livestock: More at Stake than Steak. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(7), A396. Retrieved from EBSCO MegaFILE database.

This article discusses the antibiotic resistance problem that occurs with the use of antibiotics in agriculture. It goes into great detail on how if a reduction in antibiotic use is to be implemented then changes in agricultural techniques need to be altered. There will have to be ways to minimize the spread of bacteria and promote good hygiene. Lastly, it is discussed how they can’t stop antibiotic use suddenly, there will have to be a transition phase to where agriculture can adapt.

Schwaiger, K., Schmied, E-M. V., & Bauer, J. (2008). Comparative Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance Characteristics of Gram-negative Bacteria Isolated from Laying Hens and Eggs in Conventional and Organic Keeping Systems in Bavaria, Germany. Zoonoses and Public Health, 55(7), 331-341. Retrieved from E-Journals database.

This study compares the differences of bacterial resistance patterns between organic and conventional agricultural methods. Their results indicate that the resistance rate and minimum inhibitory concentrations of bacteria from organic methods was less than conventional methods. It was concluded that organic farming contributes to further effectiveness of antibiotics.


Sawalha, A. (2008). Self-medication with antibiotics: A study in Palestine. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, 20(4), 213-222. Retrieved from PsycINFO database.

This study was concerned with the self-medication practices involving antibiotics among school teachers in Palestine. Respondents to the survey used for the study were divided into groups which were then further scrutinized. This study reflected that teachers who used antibiotics through self medication only were more likely to administer antibiotics to children without medical consultation and they were more likely to keep left over antibiotics for later use.

 

Selgelid, M.J. (2007). Ethics And Drug Resistance. Bioethics, Vol.21 (Issue 4), p. 218-229.

This article explains that over and under consumption of antibiotics is one main reason antibiotics are not working on bacteria.

Sharfstein, J. (2010, July 14) Statement of Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD Principal Duty Commissioner. Retrieved from http://energycommerce.house.gov/documents/20100714/Sharfstein.Testimony.07.14.2010.pdf

Sharfstein from the Food and Drug Administration made this testimony in front of the U.S. senate relating to the preservation of antimicrobials. He provides a helpful background education to his listeners/readers about antibiotics, resistance and their uses. Sharfstein goes into detail on The U.S. Interagency Task force and their development of a plan to combat antibiotic resistance. Other combative plans of the FDA, Center of Veterinary Medicine and in human medicine are discussed as well. I thought this was an interesting article to use since it outlined background information, discussed the FDA’s plan in fighting this problem and was thorough in its discussion.

 

Sharpe J. Neal et al (2004) Clinical and economic outcomes of oral linezolid versus intravenous vancomycin in the treatment of MRSA-complicated, lower-extremit skin and soft-tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus. The American Journal of Surgery. 189, 425-428 doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.205.01.011

Comparison of treatment of Vancomycin for skin and soft tissue MRSA infections versus Linezolid was being examined in this research paper. Linezolid was proving to be a better treatment option against MRSA than Vancomycin, which has been the long standing treatment used.  

Sorberg, M., Farra, A., Ransjo, U., Gardlund, B., Rylander, M., Wallen, L., Kalin, M., & Kronvall, G. (2002). Long-term antibiotic resistance surveillance of gram-negative pathogens suggests that temporal trends can be used as a resistance warning system. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 34, 372-378.

This article describes a 12 year longitudinal study which examined antibiotic resistance in a number of Gram-negative bacteria in relation to antibiotic consumption. They found that Escherichia coli increased its resistance to ciprofloxacin by 11%, Pseudomonas aeruginos resistance to ciprofloxacin increased 10.5%. Both increases in antibiotic resistance were prevalent after an increase in the antibiotic. However, other drugs showed a decrease in use which resulted in an increase in antibiotic resistance such as the trend they found in E. coil’s resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.


Spencer, P.L. (1995). When Antibiotcs Fail to Work. Consumers' Research Magazine, 78 (10), p.10.

Spencer talks about how bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics at an astounding rate.

Spivey, A. (2007). Resisting Arrest. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(7), A362. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Spivey writes an article discussing flouroquinolone-resistant bacteria found in chickens four years after the FDA banned the use of this type of antibiotic in 2005. This antibiotic was banned because while used on poultry farms, this drug was becoming less effective for human use. In a study done by John Hopkin’s, conventional poultry meat found in various supermarkets was compared along with antibiotic- free farm meat. It is suggested that since these bacteria can hold on for so long, additional measures including thorough disinfections and regular litter changing in hen houses will be necessary to make sure farms are absent of this lingering bacteria remaining in their meat.

 

Stevenson, K. B., Searle, K., Stoddard, G. J., & Samore, M. H. (2005). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci in Rural Communities, Western United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases , 11 (6), 895-903. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.


This was the only study that directly looked at MRSA rates in rural communities. With the information provided from the reported cases of MRSA by county in North Dakota, it will help provide comparative data as to any increases or decreases and helping determine if rates it other areas of county are comparable to rural areas in North Dakota. Information on Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci will be ignored in this article, as it addresses both VRE and MRSA rates.

 

Tilman, David et al (2002. August 8) Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature. 418, 671-677. doi:10.1038/nature01014 page:671-677

This review touches on many issues facing the world food source today with consideration of the world’s growing population. Sustainability, land management, food production and costs were some of the points touched on and the ramifications the current practices will have one the global food source 50 years down the road. Of the several topics touched on included disease control, and the use of non-theraputic levels of antibiotics, that seem to be lead to resistant bacteria, specifically in poultry and beef.

 

Tomasz, A. (1994). Multiple-antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria -- a report on the rockefeller university workshop.The New England Journal of Medicine, 330. Retrieved from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199404283301725

This article, which may be considered slightly outdated, is a report on a conference of scientists that met at Rockefeller University to discuss the rise of antibiotic resistance. It includes the dimensions of the problems, listing statistics of hospital born infections. The article also looks ahead to the future and has recommendations from the scientists that were gathered.

 

Truant, P. (2005). Agricultural use of antibiotics prompts human health concerns. Nation's Health, 35(10), 8. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Truant discusses in the article the banning of enrofloxacin, an antibiotic used in poultry, due to the concern over the effects it has on resistance in humans. It is emphasized that it took 5 years to ban this drug and that the process is slow because of the inability to know exactly the details of if the antibiotics used in animals has an effect on resistance in humans. The main point to take from this article is that new methods of regulation and control of antibiotics need to be developed.


Turk, L. (1995). Overuse of antibiotics helping drug-resistant bacteria. Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, Vol.14 (Issue 3), p.161-174.

Turk talks about why most doctors don't prescribe antibiotics.

 

Turnidge, J. 2004. Antibiotic use in animals prejudices, perceptions and realities. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 53. Retrieved from http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/1/26.full.pdf

Turnidge responds to the uprising pertaining to use of antibiotics in food producing animals and its contributions to the human antibiotic resistance problems. He states that research has been found linking antibiotic use in animals directly to resistance in these same animals, but that human harm has not been concretely found to be evidenced in research. Even if this cannot be proven directly, the author agrees that even if transference to humans from animals is infrequent it is still problematic. He also states that whatever the opinion is we should all turn our attention to decreasing resistance instead of discussing its contributors. This seemed to be an opinionated article that still provided background information on both sides, inspiring the reader to do their own research and develop their own take on this issue.

 

Vega, C. (2009). Efforts to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing: are they worth it? a best evidence review . Med Care, 46. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/585456

This journal article discusses efforts that may reduce antibiotic resistance. Also included is a condensed list of proposed methods and there effectiveness.

 

Vouloumanou, E., Karageorgopoulos, D., Kazantzi1, M., Kapaskelis, A., & Falagas, M. (2009). Antibiotics versus placebo or watchful waiting for acute otitismedia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 64, 16–24. doi:10.1093/jac/dkp166

This article addressed the differences between antibiotic, placebo, and watchful waiting treatment of pediatric Acute Otis Media. Though antibiotics sped up recovery time, this type of treatment also caused more side effects, specifically diarrhea. Furthermore, it was found that there were few other differences in the treatments.

 

Walker, E.S., Levy, F. (2001). Genetic Trends in a Population Evolving Antibiotic Resistance. Evolution, Vol. 55, (No. 6), 1110-1122


Walker and Levy investigate resistance gene trends in Moraxella catarrhalis.

Walsh, B., (2005, July, 25). Too Much of a Good Thing. Time World. Retrieved (October, 20, 2010) from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1086195,00.html.


This web article from Time magazine’s website discusses antibiotic resistance in China. Walsh explains the cultural traits that have made resistance via antibiotic misuse common in China and reports the steps that the Chinese government is taking to curb the problem.


Walsh, C., & Fanning, S. (2008). Antimicrobial Resistance in Foodborne Pathogens - A Cause for Concern? Current Drug Targets, 9(9), 808-815. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
database.


The study discussed in this article researched the transfer of resistant bacteria through food due to the stresses caused in the food processing environment. Since food sources such as farm animals are treated with antibiotics for disease prevention, treatment and growth, they frequently become carriers of antibiotic resistant bacteria that can be transferred to humans through the food chain. Biocides used in food production, including sanitizers and disinfectants, have had mixed reviews in that some cases have shown resistance to these chemicals while other studies have been unable to prove this. The link between antibiotic resistance and biocide use is unclear. This article also goes into detail about specific biocides used in farm production.

 

Wang, Y.C., Lipsitch, M. (2006). Upgrading Antibiotic Use within a Class: Tradeoff between Resistance and Treatment Success. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 103, (No. 25), 9655-9660


This article examined the practice of using an antibiotic in the same class when a bacterial infection has already acquired resistance to the initial antibiotic. The authors found that using an antibiotic in the same class results in greater resistance and lower failure. On the other hand, not changing to the new drug increases the risk of failure of the drug, but minimized the instance of resistance.

 

Weinstein, R. (2009). Controlling antimicrobial resistance in hospitals: infection control and use of antibiotics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no2/weinstein.htm

This article by the CDC discusses strategies that can be used to reduce the spread of resistance in hospitals. These strategies include proper hand washing and better prescribing methods.


Whyte, J. (2008). A Community Health Nursing Approach to the Problems of Antibiotic Over- Prescribing. Journal of Community Health Nursing, Vol.25 (Issue 3), p.161-174

Whyte talks about antibiotic resistance due to over prescribing. Whyte also talks about a study led by nurses to decrease the inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions to patients which only have viral infections.

Willemsen, I., Bogaers-Hofman, D., Winters, M., & Kluytmans, J. (2009). Correlation between antibiotic use and resistance in a hospital: temporary and ward-specific observations.Infection, 37(5), Retrieved from Ebsco Host database

This is a detailed report on a study in a hospital setting that looked into resistance of three specific antibiotics over time. The article contains quality statistical analysis and graphics.

Wolfgang, W. (2000). Ecological impact of antibiotic use in animals on different complex microflora: environment. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 14(4), 321-325. doi: 10.1016/S0924-8579(00)00144-8

The author discusses how the transfer of resistant bacteria and their resistant genes may co-occur with various methods of interaction between micro-ecological systems in different animal hosts and the environment. He goes over the numerous ways that resistance can be spread.

 

Ziglam, H.M. (2006). Knowledge about sepsis among training-grade doctors. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Vol.57 (Issue 5), p.963-965.

Ziglam talks about how entry grade doctors or even graduate students need to have knowledge of antibiotics and the down side of over prescribing them.

 

Zimecki, M.. (2008, Feb). The concerted action of lactoferrin and bacteriophages in the clearance of bacteria in sublethally infected mice. Postepy Hig Med Dosw. 7(62), 42-46. from PubMed


This article examines whether the combined treatment of infected mice with lactoferrin and bacteriophages may allow significant lowering of the bacteriophage dose needed for effective elimination of E. coli and S. aureous.

 

Zimecki, M.. (2009, Aug). Effects of prophylactic administration of bacteriophages to immunosuppressed mice infected with Staphylococcus aureous. BMC Microbiology. 17(9), 169-. from PubMed


This article is based on the research of bacteriophages in the treatment of an infection due to S. aureous bacteria in mice. This article is specifically focused on use of bacteriophages on immunodepressed individuals.