ABSTRACT
Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, the world has been revolutionized by the further discovery and synthesis of antibiotics. This increased life expectancy, and reduced morbidity and mortality, which allowed for continued growth of the normal human lifespan well past its original bounds. Unfortunately, despite the rapid implementation of antibiotics into the healthcare field, there has been a continuous growth in the emergence of resistance in pathogenic organisms. 1 In Darwin-like fashion, continued use of suppressive agents has created a selective pressure for pathogens with the capabilities to survive most antibiotics, allowing them to continue to infect patients, which over a few years spread across different countries. The discovery of each new generation of antibiotic quickly followed the same trend (Figure 55.1). Several studies have demonstrated the association of antibiotic use with the emergence of resistance. In the past century, the majority of newly developed antibiotics have seen resistance within a few years of its initial introduction into the healthcare field. 2
