The Global Research on AntiMicrobial resistance (GRAM) Project is the flagship study of the Oxford GBD (Global Burden of Disease) Group, and aims to provide robust, comprehensive and timely evidence of the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 195 countries and territories. The Oxford GBD Group is a partnership between the Big Data Institute (BDI) … Read more
IORD – Ongoing approved projects and project outputs
The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on hospital admissions, antimicrobial prescribing and serious bacterial infections
The Covid-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on healthcare globally. Whilst the virus is directly devastating for many suffering from severe infection, there are also wider implications. These include potentially lower use of healthcare for other serious conditions with potential adverse outcomes. Additionally, managing Covid-19 cases may change antibiotic prescribing in hospitals, and have … Read more
Impact of antibiotics on detection and transmission of MRSA
Antibiotics are commonly used to treat infections, but they may also affect how other infections are detected and transmitted. MRSA is a potentially serious healthcare-associated infection. Over the past decade there has been major progress in reducing the number of patients who carry MRSA on their skin and other body sites, and in reducing infections … Read more
Can we estimate resistance in bloodstream infections from resistance in other types of specimen?
In order to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance, a first key step is to understand how much resistance there is. This is typically done by looking at bacteria causing serious infections, particularly bloodstream infections. However, growing bacteria from blood usually requires sophisticated machines which heat samples of blood in special nutrients. These machines are … Read more
Antimicrobial prescribing and risk of future resistant infection
Infections due to one particular family of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae are increasing in Oxfordshire and worldwide, as are infections resistant to the commonly-used beta-lactam antibiotics (such as co-amoxiclav, sometimes also called augmentin). Treating people with particular types of antibiotics may make people more likely to get resistant infections in the future. We want to see … Read more
Antibiotic use – if you use less antibiotic in general medicine are there adverse consequences?
Reducing antibiotic use to combat antimicrobial resistance is a priority. We want to know if we can do this safely and without putting patients at undue risk. Antibiotic use was measured over 1 week in an intensive audit of practice in the Acute/General Medicine service at the John Radcliffe. This showed that one Consultant team … Read more
Trends in bacterial pathogens, antibiotic resistance, antibiotic usage and patient outcomes in critical care in the Oxford University NHS Trust hospitals, 1999-2014
Antibiotics are medicines that are hugely important in treating many infections, and antibiotic resistance is a major clinical problem. Research has shown that increased use of antibiotics, whether appropriate or inappropriate, seems to be associated with higher numbers of antibiotic-resistant infections. To develop the best treatment strategies, it is important to understand which bacteria (bugs) … Read more
Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of urinary isolates from samples collected in the community
Urinary tract infections comprise around 1% of the 300 million general practice consultations annually in the UK; most of these are acute uncomplicated UTIs (AUUTIs) in women of childbearing age. AUUTIs affect around 50% of women during their lifetime and, by 24 years of age, one-third of women have had a UTI. Although AUUTIs generally … Read more