Antibiotics have different effects on our own bacterial ecology, with sometimes unexpected detrimental effects. In this project, we will study this in detail and particularly address the question of 'good' and 'bad' antibiotics and how to identify them. National antibiotic policy and the deployment of 'decontamination' strategies in the critically ill are directly related issues and we expect to inform these important policy debates.
Intensive Care patients more often than not, develop kidney failure requiring dialysis. Unfortunately there is little information available to inform clinicians of appropriate doses for antibiotics in these patients, putting them at an increased risk of death from ineffective treatment. Our project aims to develop dosing guidelines for the many types of dialysis used globally to achieve concentrations in the blood that optimise antibiotic effects in these most critically ill patients.
Rapid Prediction Of Antibiotic Resistance In The Enterobacteriaceae: Making Use Of Restricted Diversity In Mobile Resistance Gene Pools
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,032.00
Summary
Immediate treatment of patients suffering life-threatening bacterial infections with effective antibiotics greatly improves their chances of survival, but antibiotic resistance increasingly complicates this treatment. Currently such resistance cannot be detected in time to help decide the best antibiotic to use. We aim to define a small set of the many known antibiotic resistance genes that can be used accurately predict resistance in rapid tests using modern detection systems.
The Arthroplasty Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis (ASAP) Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,509,985.00
Summary
The demand for total joint replacement surgery will double over the next decade. Infection involving the surgical wound is a devastating complication of this surgery. Half of all infections are due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus (such as MRSA) and Enterococcus. This multicentre randomised controlled trial aims to investigate whether the addition of vancomycin at the time of surgery reduces the incidence of surgical wound infections; is safe and is cost-effective.