New antibiotics, efflux pumps and overcoming resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a contemporary problem affecting patients, doctors, microbiologists and the wider medical community. The patients include both those who are hospitalised and those treated in the community. The doctors include physicians and surgeons alike. The wider medical community is affected by outbreaks, bed closures, costs and a far-reaching impact on the efficient functioning of the healthcare system. Solutions to the problem of antibiotic resistance are often at odds with the practical need for doctors to treat patients with the very antibiotics which are fuelling the problem.