Carriage of antibiotic resistant bacteria flora and its role in the guidance of clinical decision making

ABSTRACT There is considerable literature on the threat of antibiotic resistance and its impact on morbidity. However, an under-studied consideration is how carriage of these antibiotic resistant bacteria persist in an individual. The duration that a person harbors a resistant organism is critical in guiding future antimicrobial therapy. Key unexplored questions are the rate of clearance of these organisms and what drives their persistence. This paper attempts to examine these questions and offers some initial answers as well as avenues for further study. This manuscript seeks to determine the relevance of prior resistant culture data in predicting future empiric antimicrobial therapy.