“Antibiotics are a precious resource,” Professor Rhonda Stuart explained at this week’s Employee Forum. “Their ability to do what we need them to do decreases when we use them too much.”
Carbapenems are our “last-line agents” or “antibiotics of last resort” when patients with infections become gravely ill or are suspected of harbouring resistant bacteria.
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are bacteria that are resistant to most antibiotics.
What is CPE?
Enterobacteriaceae is the name given to a family of bacteria or germs that normally live in our bowels. A well-known Enterobacteriaceae you may have heard of is Escherichia coli or E. coli.
Carbapenems are a group of antibiotics (for example, meropenem) that usually work against these bacteria. Some bacteria have become hard to treat because these antibiotics no longer work – the bacteria have become resistant to the antibiotics. These bacteria are called carbapenemase-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). When the resistance is due to the ability to produce a special enzyme that stops the antibiotics working (a carbapenemase) they are called carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE).
“These are the most worrying bacteria that we are currently dealing with, because they are resistant to the most broad-spectrum antibiotics we have,” explained Professor Stuart.
“People colonised with these bacteria may go on to get an infection, and if that happens, they are more difficult to treat, because we haven’t got the big gun antibiotics to treat them with.”
An important reminder of the importance of hand hygiene and keeping equipment clean
Professor Stuart reinforced the importance of basic infection prevention principles, starting with good hand hygiene practices and cleaning as the most important tools in limiting transmission of resistant organisms.
“Hand hygiene is one of our strongest protections in reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections,” Professor Stuart said. “Before and after we touch patients, the environment, and equipment, we need to practice good hand hygiene.”
Professor Stuart also emphasised the importance of looking at EMR or IPM alerts to identify carriers and those who require screening, practising antibiotic control and disinfecting environmental and clinical equipment like WOWs.
Remember – Clean hands can save lives. Perform hand hygiene before and after, every time.
Approved by Professor Rhonda Stuart, Director, Public Health and Infection Prevention