The units of Hospital da Luz network and Hospital Beatriz Ângelo join the European Antibiotic Awareness Day , this year celebrated on November 18, and the World Antibiotic Awareness Week (18-25 November), that has for motto this year: “Antibiotics: use them carefully”. The European Antibiotic Awareness Day is an initiative of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the European Agency for Health. This date also marks the start of the World Antibiotic Awareness Week , promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), also with the purpose of sensitizing the population for the correct use of antibiotics . The proper use of antibiotics is the most important measure viewing the reduction of new emergent bacteria. Antibiotics should only be used in the context of bacterial infection and not viral infection, such as for instance flu, colds or non-complex covid-19. Antibiotics… should not be used in bacterial colonization, as it is the case of asymptomatic bacteriuria; should be administered through the adequate path and for the adequate duration, privileging short durations and oral administration; prescription should be preceded, whenever possible, of microbiological studies, which is more applicable in hospital or institutional context. Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use remain quite high in European countries, according to reports disseminated by the ECDC in the European Antibiotic Awareness Day. If nothing changes in the meanwhile, by 2050, 10 million people are estimated to die all over the world of infection caused by resistant bacteria. Unlike COVID-19, the pandemic associated to antimicrobial resistance will persist, as long as there are humans and bacteria! The effect of the inappropriate use of antibiotics Antimicrobial resistance in the EU/EEA - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2019
