24. Resistance is Real: Safer and Smarter Antibiotic Use in Argentina

Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria evolve to withstand the medicines designed to kill them. About half the time that we use an antibiotic, it might not be needed or it's the wrong one for the job. That misuse is what's driving antibiotic resistance. Resistant infections threaten modern medicine's ability to manage infections and lead to longer illnesses, hospital stays, higher costs, and deaths. Facundo Jorro-Baron tells us about how public hospitals he worked with changed their antibiotic prescription practices. Hear why the fight against antibiotic resistance deals with some resistance of its own. And like most resistance, it too is local.References:Jorro-Baron F, Loudet CI, Cornistein W, et al. Optimising antibacterial utilisation in Argentine intensive care units: a quality improvement collaborative. BMJ Qual Saf. 2025;34:590–600. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2024-017069.Liberati C, Brigadoi G, Barbieri E, Giaquinto C, Donà D. Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Pediatric Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Scoping Review.Antibiotics. 2025;14(2):130. doi:10.3390/antibiotics14020130.Flannery DD, Coggins SA, Medoro AK. Antibiotic Stewardship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine. 2025;40(8):862-875. doi:10.1177/08850666241258386.Branstetter JW, Barker L, Yarbrough A, Ross S, Stultz JS. Challenges of Antibiotic Stewardship in the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2021;26(7):659–668. doi:10.5863/1551-6776-26.7.659.Gerber JS, Jackson MA, Tamma PD, Zaoutis TE. Antibiotic Stewardship in Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2021;147(1):e2020040295. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-040295.