ABSTRACT
The ever-escalating human and global economic significance of antimicrobial resistance makes the proper selection, dosing, and duration of antimicrobial agents the subjects of initiatives from a number of interest groups. But, while antimicrobial optimization is an important component in a comprehensive program for combating resistance, the services of a competent microbiology laboratory and a vigorous infection control program are essential elements as well. The fear and furor surrounding patient safety and drug-resistant organisms is spawning a renewed interest in infection control. Healthcare quality improvement is maturing, and a number of new and fruitful initiatives, which include infection prevention, are boasting dramatic results. Increasingly, healthcare-associated infections are framed within the context of preventable adverse events and patient safety. Nosocomial infections are the leading adverse events affecting patients in hospitals. The containment of certain pathogens by isolating patients, placing patients and staff into cohorts, and using barrier has been traditionally associated with infection control.
