Antibiotic resistance in long-term care

Long-term care facilities (LTCF) may be important in perpetuating the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), aminoglycoside and/or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacilli. LTCFs can serve as a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria because of various patient and facility factors unique to these institutions. Many patients enter LTCFs colonized with antibiotic-resistant organisms that were acquired in hospital. Persistence of colonization is the rule. Although colonization rates are generally high, infection rates with antibiotic-resistant organisms are much lower in LTCFs than in acute-care hospitals. Appropriate use of antibiotics in LTCFs can help to decrease the emergence of resistant pathogens and prevent spread of these organisms throughout the facility and back into acute-care hospitals.