Global Point of Care
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes become immune to the medications that previously used to kill them. The process happens naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the problem. To keep pace, our behavior has to evolve faster than the microbes.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes become immune to the medications that previously used to kill them. The process happens naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the problem. To keep pace, our behavior has to evolve faster than the microbes.
After hundreds of years of steady medical breakthroughs, we’re looking at the very real possibility of medical setbacks.1
Due to antibiotic resistance, a growing number of bacterial infections — such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea — are becoming harder to treat as microbes become more resilient to treatment.
It’s not inconceivable that one day, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, diabetes management, caesarean sections and hip replacements will be considered very high risk — and that the risk of dying from a common infection would outweigh the benefits of the medical procedure.
Older people and immunocompromised people may have a higher risk of dying from a drug-resistant infection1, but antimicrobial resistance is a much bigger problem: Whenever anyone in a community abuses antibiotics, the drugs become less effective for everyone in the community.
Developing new medicines isn’t enough. The discovery of new antimicrobials is too slow to keep pace with how quickly microbes are evolving to resist old medicines.2 We need to preserve the effectiveness of the antimicrobials which we currently have.
Just as important, it’s critical we move away from the broad over-prescription of antibiotics towards more targeted therapy.
90% of Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) are caused by a virus.3
Strep A is the cause of acute pharyngitis (sore throat) in only 15‑30% of cases, however antibiotics are prescribed in up to 75% of cases.4
Globally, 480,000 people develop multi-drug resistant TB each year.5
Annual deaths resulting from antimicrobial-resistant infections could rise to 10 million a year in 2050, from the current 700,000.6
After hundreds of years of steady medical breakthroughs, we’re looking at the very real possibility of medical setbacks.1
Due to antibiotic resistance, a growing number of bacterial infections — such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gonorrhea — are becoming harder to treat as microbes become more resilient to treatment.
It’s not inconceivable that one day, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, diabetes management, caesarean sections and hip replacements will be considered very high risk — and that the risk of dying from a common infection would outweigh the benefits of the medical procedure.
Older people and immunocompromised people may have a higher risk of dying from a drug-resistant infection1, but antimicrobial resistance is a much bigger problem: Whenever anyone in a community abuses antibiotics, the drugs become less effective for everyone in the community.
Developing new medicines isn’t enough. The discovery of new antimicrobials is too slow to keep pace with how quickly microbes are evolving to resist old medicines.2 We need to preserve the effectiveness of the antimicrobials which we currently have.
Just as important, it’s critical we move away from the broad over-prescription of antibiotics towards more targeted therapy.
90% of Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) are caused by a virus.3
Strep A is the cause of acute pharyngitis (sore throat) in only 15‑30% of cases, however antibiotics are prescribed in up to 75% of cases.4
Globally, 480,000 people develop multi-drug resistant TB each year.5
Annual deaths resulting from antimicrobial-resistant infections could rise to 10 million a year in 2050, from the current 700,000.6
Imagine if your newborn was infected by a resistant strain of pneumonia and lapsed into a coma? Or your grandmother surviving a bypass operation — only to pass away from a minor infection that proved resistant to any medication?
Imagine if your newborn was infected by a resistant strain of pneumonia and lapsed into a coma? Or your grandmother surviving a bypass operation — only to pass away from a minor infection that proved resistant to any medication?
Imagine if your newborn was infected by a resistant strain of pneumonia and lapsed into a coma? Or your grandmother surviving a bypass operation — only to pass away from a minor infection that proved resistant to any medication?
“Today, antibiotics are rarely prescribed based on a definitive diagnosis. Having rapid, low-cost, and readily available diagnostics is an essential part of the solution to this urgent problem.”
Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General
of the World Health Organization14
At Abbott, we’ve always been deeply committed to delivering reliable and actionable information through rapid diagnostic tests, contributing to better clinical and economic healthcare outcomes globally.
Our socially-conscious business approach focuses on creating breakthrough, cost-effective diagnostic solutions that address the most intractable diseases for all populations in all corners of the world.
Antibiotic resistance is a global challenge we take very seriously — and very personally. By supplying healthcare providers with a comprehensive set of diagnostic information, Abbott empowers a shift in prescribing behavior away from the over-use of antibiotics, which spawned the growing prevalence of serious healthcare-associated infections like MRSA and C. difficile.
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) may decrease the amount of inappropriate prescribing by shortening the time to receive a test result and guiding treatment decisions. The decrease in the amount of time to analyze a result benefits the management of infectious diseases considerably.7
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) may decrease the amount of inappropriate prescribing by shortening the time to receive a test result and guiding treatment decisions. The decrease in the amount of time to analyze a result benefits the management of infectious diseases considerably.7
Abbott offers a best-in-class rapid diagnostic which enables healthcare practitioners to distinguish between respiratory tract infections that require treatment and those that are self-limiting as well as several other diagnostic tools that can help clinicians identify pathogens at the point of care and define an appropriate treatment strategy earlier.
Rapid microbiological tests provide opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship programs to improve antimicrobial use and clinical and economic outcomes.8, 9, 10, 11 Standard techniques for identification of organisms are based on phenotypic methods, which can require 48–72 hours to provide final results, compared with rapid diagnostic tests, which provide final results within minutes.
The use of existing rapid diagnostics and the development of new rapid diagnostics are critical components of the global strategy to combat AMR.2
The use of existing rapid diagnostics and the development of new rapid diagnostics are critical components of the global strategy to combat AMR.2
Abbott offers a broad range of rapid diagnostic tools that help healthcare practitioners distinguish between respiratory tract infections that require treatment and those that are self-limiting — and define an appropriate treatment strategy earlier.
Rapid diagnostic tests could transform the fight against superbugs by changing the way we use antibiotics and other precious drugs.2
Rapid diagnostic tests could transform the fight against superbugs by changing the way we use antibiotics and other precious drugs.2
27m get antibiotics unnecessarily
13m who need antibiotics get them
Out of 40m people who get given antibiotics for respiratory issues.13
Significantly faster than other molecular methods and more accurate than conventional rapid testing, giving you the confidence to make effective patient management decisions sooner.
The research is as sobering as it is clear: People with infections which are resistant to antibiotics are considerably more likely to die from their infections.
And even if they don’t, they’re looking at significantly longer hospital stays and increased risk of re-infection and secondary infections.
To prevent the inappropriate prescription and use of antibiotics — and deviate from the path toward to a post-antibiotic era — rapid diagnostics must be the cornerstone of the overall antimicrobial resistance global strategy. Abbott is committed to being part of the solution, both through technology and education.
27m get antibiotics unnecessarily
13m who need antibiotics get them
Out of 40m people who get given antibiotics for respiratory issues.13
Significantly faster than other molecular methods and more accurate than conventional rapid testing, giving you the confidence to make effective patient management decisions sooner.
The research is as sobering as it is clear: People with infections which are resistant to antibiotics are considerably more likely to die from their infections.
And even if they don’t, they’re looking at significantly longer hospital stays and increased risk of re-infection and secondary infections.
To prevent the inappropriate prescription and use of antibiotics — and deviate from the path toward to a post-antibiotic era — rapid diagnostics must be the cornerstone of the overall antimicrobial resistance global strategy. Abbott is committed to being part of the solution, both through technology and education.
A Leader In Rapid Point-of-care Diagnostics.
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Abbott - A Leader in Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnostics.