According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 million people in the U.S. develop serious infections annually that are resistant to antibiotics. Of these, 23, 000 people die annually. Understaning how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and how this resistance proliferates is a first step in decreasing the threat. The CDC has elucidated factors contributing to antibiotic resistance (AR), including world factors, overuse by humans and animals, and lack of new drug development. Healthcare providers must understand the consequence of AR and how they can be part of the solution.
