Antimicrobial Stewardship: Knowing Why, Seeking How

摘要

Antimicrobial resistance: good for microbes, bad for humans.That’s a succinct eight-word rationale for theneed for antimicrobial stewardship (AS). It is straightforward,understandable, and universally acceptable. But beforethat statement can be dismissed as obvious, honest humilityobliges us to admit that it was six decades into the eraof widespread antibiotic use before the term antimicrobialstewardship entered the common medical and infectious diseaseslexicon. Yet despite the sagacious warnings of visionariessuch as Alexander Fleming, Maxwell Finland, StuartLevy, and Calvin Kunin, antibiotic overuse remains a continuingproblem, and antimicrobial resistance continues toproliferate.