Guía Terapéutica Antibiótica 4.7

Antimicrobials comprise a broad group of extraordinarily effective and complex drugs. Since their discovery 70 years ago, they have saved millions of lives and enabled medical advancements, becoming essential medications for treating the majority of bacterial infectious processes.

The development of antimicrobial resistance, the emergence and spread of multi-resistant bacteria, and the scarcity of alternative treatments are among the most significant public health challenges today. While many factors contribute to the selection and spread of antibiotic resistance, inappropriate and indiscriminate use stands out as a primary driver of this phenomenon.

The use of antimicrobials in hospital settings can be improved in 30-50% of cases. The presence of resistant microorganisms, their variability among hospitals, and even within different areas of the same hospital necessitate a thorough understanding of local microbiological epidemiology. Optimal selection and dosing of antimicrobials for various infectious syndromes also require specific and up-to-date training.

In an effort to promote more appropriate use of antimicrobials, the Hospital Son Espases Infection Control Commission (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) has updated the protocols for infectious diseases with this third edition.

Through the app format of the protocol manual, we aim to facilitate the dissemination and use of these protocols, making them accessible and easily readable to be valuable in daily clinical practice. Full protocols with their references can also be accessed from the homepage for further study.

The application is intended for general physicians and pharmacists and covers both general aspects of antimicrobial use (prevention of resistance, dosing in renal and hepatic impairment, dosing in obese patients, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics) as well as specific treatment guides by organ systems (respiratory, digestive, urinary, etc). It is important to note that these are local recommendations based on specific situations in our center and the antibiotic sensitivity information provided by the Microbiology Department at Hospital Son Espases, so some recommendations may need interpretation and adaptation by the user.

We have also aimed to provide access to additional resources such as clinical calculators, courses, and clinical cases. Here is an overview of all the application functionalities:

• Lectura off-line de los aspectos generales del uso de antimicrobianos, de los protocolos de tratamiento y de los protocolos de profilaxis.
• Lectura off-line y descarga de los protocolos completos con sus referencias bibliográficas (formato PDF).
• Calculadoras clínicas: IMC, dosis en obesos, función renal, escala CPIS, escala CURB-65, escala de Fine (PSI), escala de Child-Pugh, índice de Barthel y test de Pfeiffer.
• Cursos: enlace a los cursos de Enfermedades Infecciosas impartidos en los últimos años.
• Casos clínicos: cada 15 días se presenta un caso clínico y se lanza un cuestionario sobre el mismo. Al cabo de unos días se resuelve y se comenta el caso.
• Buzón de sugerencias: envía tus comentarios, correcciones o sugerencias para mejorar la aplicación.

The authors.