Complicated Infectious Diseases (CID) are a growing unmet need in the clinical setting due to antimicrobial resistance and emergence of new pathogens.
The CDC and the President’s Council on Science and Technology have recently brought awareness to this growing public health issue. While long-term initiatives have been introduced to combat complicated infections through regulatory approval pathways, drug development initiatives, and financial incentives for industry, there is a shortage of programs to address current ID treatment gaps.
Hospital clinical micro labs are unable to fully characterize the growing number of pathogens, and must focus on most frequently encountered and treatable organisms. Patients with rare or multidrug-resistant infections are often ineffectively treated, leading to infection-associated fatalities.
Effective treatment of complicated infections often requires an individualized approach, termed “bench to bedside medicine.” This involves an individualized characterization and treatment plan based on a specific organism and patient clinical response. Currently, there is no infrastructure in the clinical setting to address individual treatment of complicated and often fatal infections.
There are effective treatments available for many complicated or multidrug-resistant infections.
Sophisticated lab testing can determine the most effective treatment or combination of therapies and doses for individual patients. Access to the right lab services and therapies combined with expert guidance on treatments and dosing can transform clinical care of fatal infections.