tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066238290370557389.post8442945837335001359..comments2024-03-20T04:44:15.540-05:00Comments on Controversies in Hospital Infection Prevention: What is Sepkowitz saying about antibiotic resistance?Dan Diekemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10231929371552334184noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066238290370557389.post-39465255511569429782012-03-02T20:09:05.053-06:002012-03-02T20:09:05.053-06:00I thought infectious diseases were one of Jared Di...I thought infectious diseases were one of Jared Diamond's Guns Germs and Steel? I can't remember which one, I think Guns. Anyway, hard to pooh pooh resistance (and thus infectious diseases). I agree that in-hospital infection prevention is a pimple, but he is talking about pubic health, of which infectious diseases have and will increasingly be with MDR a larger part.Eli Perencevichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05131155100606411030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066238290370557389.post-73728669560225360502012-03-02T05:29:34.692-06:002012-03-02T05:29:34.692-06:00I read the piece three times. I think Kent is tryi...I read the piece three times. I think Kent is trying to put the problem of antibiotic resistance into a bigger perspective. As a doctor who prescribed colistin and fosfomycin just last week, I'm able to see firsthand the consequences of antibiotic resistance. But as a hospital epidemiologist, I have always struggled with our raison d'etre--to incrementally improve the quality of care for a very small proportion of the world's population. Someone once said that nosocomial infections are a pimple on the ass of public health. You could interpret that to be demeaning to hospital epidemiologists or you could use that to help you keep your perspective.Mike Edmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03722011490008008883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066238290370557389.post-40620572178250893212012-03-01T21:49:38.689-06:002012-03-01T21:49:38.689-06:00Agree. He is acting as the anti-chicken little whe...Agree. He is acting as the anti-chicken little when the sky is actually falling. If it didn't have negative consequence it might be interesting.Eli Perencevichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05131155100606411030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066238290370557389.post-78396543019576732962012-03-01T21:28:31.365-06:002012-03-01T21:28:31.365-06:00I don't know the man, but from reading a few o...I don't know the man, but from reading a few of his writings he seems to be a contrarian in general, and a debunker. The problem with people who tend to be debunkers is often they end up saying that some things that (I think) are not bunk are bunk. Being a debunker, all else being equal, also makes one more interesting to editors that might "publish" what one writes.neldridge202https://www.blogger.com/profile/07646837907846644263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066238290370557389.post-62824809321039679032012-03-01T16:37:17.752-06:002012-03-01T16:37:17.752-06:00Hey Eli,
Perhaps Kent will chime in for himself,...Hey Eli, <br /><br />Perhaps Kent will chime in for himself, but I assume he is merely expanding upon a point made in a recent JAMA editorial on MRSA prevention, wherein the authors stated, "However, it may be presumptuous to assume that hospital-based infection prevention efforts have a major effect on the natural history of [S. aureus/MRSA]..."<br /><br />http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/304/6/687.full<br /><br />I know, different bugs, but it seems clear that Kent's current emphasis is on our hubris in assuming that simple interventions (like hand hygiene or reducing antibiotic use) can have a big impact in the interplay between man and microbiota.<br /><br />DanDan Diekemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10231929371552334184noreply@blogger.com