Fighting the hidden pandemic of antimicrobial resistance in paediatrics: recommendations from the International Pediatric Association

According to a recent report, infections attributing to multidrug resistant bacteria may account for up to 30% of the total cases,1 while in specific areas, like in Middle East region, almost 90% of sepsis cases during the neonatal period in neonatal intensive care units were associated with resistant bacteria.2 In the sub-Saharan Africa region, a recent meta-analysis in neonates showed that resistance to WHO recommended β-lactams was observed in 68% cases.3 Several paediatric-related issues have been identified, such as the lack of paediatric antibiotic drug development, the limited paediatric clinical studies and therefore the lack of paediatric-specific data, the limited drug options to treat MDR (multidrug resistant) paediatric infections and the misuse or overuse of antibiotics. [...]of vaccination, antibiotic usage will reduce selection pressure that favours resistant organisms. Attributable deaths and disability-adjusted life-years caused by infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU and the European economic area in 2015: a population-level Modelling analysis.