Title : Strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance in urological practice
Abstract:
Background: Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a major challenge in urological practice due to the high prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTIs), frequent antimicrobial exposure, increasing use of invasive urological procedures, and the growing burden of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms. Empirical overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics and inappropriate prophylaxis have further accelerated antimicrobial resistance (AMR), compromising treatment outcomes and increasing healthcare costs.
Objectives: This presentation aims to discuss practical, evidence-based strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance in urology through antimicrobial stewardship, optimized diagnostic approaches, and infection prevention measures.
Content: The session will review current resistance trends among common uropathogens and identify key drivers of AMR in outpatient and inpatient urological practice. Emphasis will be placed on appropriate microbiological investigations, culture-guided therapy, rapid diagnostic techniques, local antibiogram-guided empirical treatment, and timely de-escalation or discontinuation of antibiotics. Best practices for perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis, management of asymptomatic bacteriuria, catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention, and infection control interventions will be discussed. The role of multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship programs involving urologists, microbiologists, infectious disease physicians, pharmacists, and infection prevention teams will be highlighted. Emerging strategies, including biomarker-guided antibiotic therapy, surveillance of resistance patterns, and clinician education, will also be explored.
Conclusion: Reducing antibiotic resistance in urological practice requires a multifaceted approach that integrates antimicrobial stewardship, evidence-based prescribing, accurate microbiological diagnosis, infection prevention, and continuous surveillance. Adoption of these strategies can preserve antibiotic effectiveness, improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and contribute to global efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance.
