Antimicrobial-resistant hospital infections remain at least 12% above pre-pandemic levels, major US study finds

A study examining antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 120 US hospitals before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that AMR rates remain high due to the persistence of hospital-onset infections, particularly those caused by gram-negative resistant organisms. The study, led by Dr Christina Yek from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is being presented at the ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona. AMR is estimated to cause at least 35,000 deaths annually in the US and 1.27 million worldwide. During the pandemic, the overall prevalence of AMR infections increased by 6.3%, driven primarily by a steep rise in hospital-acquired resistant infections. Infections due to gram-negative pathogens increased by almost 20% compared to pre-pandemic levels, while resistant gram-positive infections fell by 4.2%. The greatest increases were seen in hospital-acquired infections resistant to carbapenems, which are considered the drugs of last resort for treating severe infections.