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The gut is the epicentre of antibiotic resistance

Jean Carlet1

  • 1Réanimation Polyvalente, Fondation Hopital St Joseph, 185 Rue Raymond Losserand, Paris, 75014, France. Jeancarlet@gmail.com.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control
|November 28, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic use can silently alter gut flora, promoting resistant bacteria and Candida. While treatments exist, more research is needed to effectively manage gut colonization and prevent infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Gut microbiota alterations, particularly from antibiotics, can lead to the silent selection of resistant bacteria and Candida species.
  • These resistant organisms pose a risk for healthcare-associated infections, cross-transmission, and outbreaks.

Discussion:

  • Limited evidence exists for techniques to prevent, detect, and treat gut carriage of resistant organisms.
  • Selective digestive decontamination (SDD) is an exception, extensively studied in neutropenic and ICU patients.

Key Insights:

  • Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis can foster colonization by multidrug-resistant organisms.
  • Resistant gut flora can lead to asymptomatic carriage, translocation, and subsequent infections.

Outlook:

  • Further studies are warranted to explore strategies for eradicating resistant gut colonizers.
  • Re-colonization of the gut with beneficial flora or probiotics post-eradication requires investigation.

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