Healthcare Associated Infections

Antimicrobial Resistance – A Global Public Health Issue

First discovered in the 1940s, antibiotics were heralded as “wonder drugs” or “miracle drugs”. However, antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerged as early as the 1950s – and “Superbugs” have now become one of healthcare’s biggest dilemmas.

Today, antimicrobial resistance is a serious public health issue worldwide. And reducing the emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant microbes is a global concern.

In Vitro Diagnostic Tests help Prevent and Control Antimicrobial Resistance

Diagnostic tests play an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of infection, the prevention of transmission, the surveillance of resistance and the prudent use of antibiotics

As a world leader in diagnostics, with over 45 years of experience in microbiology, bioMérieux offers relevant solutions that support the strategy of prevention in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

 
Helping Healthcare Professionals Manage Antimicrobial Resistance

bioMérieux works closely with clinical laboratory professionals and doctors worldwide to provide solutions that truly contribute to preventing and managing antimicrobial resistance in the healthcare setting.

Our products are designed to provide reliable results that enable timely, actionable decisions. They help healthcare establishments in their goal to keep resistance under control. 
 
 
bioMérieux’s offer for Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance

Identification and resistance testing:

• VITEK® MS Mass Spectrometry system for Rapid ID. Identifies microorganisms in minutes instead of hours. Fully integrated with the AST result from VITEK 2 systems through the innovative middleware solution, Myla®.
• VITEK® 2 and Advanced Expert System™ (AES) for automated identification and interpretation of resistance phenotypes.
  VITEK 2 Technology provides same-day ID/AST results for routine testing.
  The AES detects and interprets complex, uncommon and low-level resistance mechanisms.
• Etest®: reference range for manual antibiotic resistance testing (gradient technique for determination of antibiotics, antifungal and antimycobacterial agents)
  Etest provides on-scale MIC determination for slow-growing, fastidious organisms particularly adapted for use in the critically ill.

Patient screening and active surveillance:

• Chromogenic culture media range:
  bioMérieux was the first company to launch a wide range of innovative chromogenic media dedicated to screening multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDROs).
  These chromogenic media enable colony isolation of MDROs in 18-24 hours.
  Discover the chromID® range: chromID® MRSA, chromID ESBL, chromID VRE, chromID C. difficile, chromID CARBA
   
• MRSA OFFER: A new efficient and flexible MRSA screening solution
  bioMérieux’s complete screening solution for MRSA provides two very different MRSA screening solutions (molecular = more rapid isolation / culture = easier and less expensive), for use according to the patient situation:
   - NucliSENS EasyQ® MRSA for emergencies / high-risk patients
   - chromID® MRSA for routine testing / systematic screening
• C. difficile screening/surveillance solutions
  bioMérieux’s diagnosis and surveillance solutions for Clostridium difficile infections are essential for rapid patient isolation to contain further spread:
  - VIDAS® GDH C. difficile for detection of glutamate-dehyrogenase (GDH) in less than 50 minutes. Sensitive, first-line test for screening patients with clinically suspected C. difficile infection. (Test under development)
  - VIDAS C. difficile Toxin A & B for toxin detection in 75 minutes. High specificity for earlier decisions on isolation/containment procedures.
   

Rapid testing:

• bioNexia® range: easy-to-use rapid tests provide rapid results in 5 to 10 minutes for Influenza A + B and CRP

Biomarker of bacterial infection:

• VIDAS® B.R.A.H.M.S PCT™: automated test for early diagnosis and monitoring of sepsis and bacterial infection, fully adapted to emergency situations. Provides guidance on clinical decisions regarding initiation and earlier discontinuation of antibiotic therapy.

Microbial genotyping:

• DiversiLab®: automated system for same-day strain typing.
  Provides genotypic characterization of bacteria, yeasts and molds to help track the source and spread of microbial infections, and assist in outbreak investigations and HAI management.

Epidemiological surveillance:

• NucliSENS EasyQ® KPC (RUO)
  Real-time NASBA™ assay for the amplification and qualitative detection of bla_KPC carbapenemase gene from bacterial colonies, rectal swabs and stools. Same-day results for all KPC variants (KPC-2 to KPC-13).
  For epidemiological surveillance studies (not for use in diagnostic procedures).
  VIGIguard™: epidemiology software for active surveillance of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs) and Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)
  (not available in US)

References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000, New England Journal of Medicine, December 28, 2000
2. Christ-Crain M, Jaccard-Stolz D, Bingisser R, Genday MM, Huber PR, Tamm M, Müller B. Effect of PCT-guided treatment on antibiotic use and outcome in lower respiratory tract infections: cluster-randomised single-blinded intervention trial. Lancet 2004; 363:600-607
3. Laxminarayan, R., A. Malani. Extending the Cure: Policy responses to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Washington, DC, Resources for the Future 2007.
4. Christ-Crain M, Stolz D, Bingisser R, Müller C, Miedlinger D, Huber PR, Zimmerli W, Harbarth S, Tamm M, Müller B. Procalcitonin guidance of antibiotic therapy in community-acquired pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2006; 174: 84-93.
5. World Health Report. 2003


Sources:

- Antibiotic resistance: An ecological perspective on an old problem. Report from the American Academy of Microbiology www.asm.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2001; www.cdc.gov
- ECDC/EMEA Joint Technical Report The bacterial challenge: time to react. 2009
- Infectious Diseases Society of America Report « Bad Bugs, No Drugs« . July 2004
- Klevens RM, et al. Invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States. JAMA 2007; 298:1763-1771
- Laxminarayan R, et al. Extending the Cure: Policy responses to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Washington, DC. Resources for the Future. 2007
- Macfarlane J, et al. Contemporary use of antibiotics in 1089 adults presenting with acute lower respiratory tract illness in general practice in the U.K. Respir Med. 1997; 91: 427-434
- Mellon M, et al.  Hogging It: Estimates of Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock. Cambridge: UCS Publications, 2001
- WHO Report 2003; www.who.org