We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




New Test Reveals Existing Antibiotics Can Cure Superbugs

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 02 May 2023

A new test has revealed that FDA-approved antibiotics, readily available at local pharmacies, can effectively combat superbugs. More...

These antibiotics are not prescribed due to the gold-standard test indicating their inefficacy. This novel test could revolutionize the development, testing, and prescription of antibiotics, playing a crucial role in the battle against bacterial resistance by optimizing the use of existing antibiotics and bolstering the search for new ones.

The antibiotic study by a team of scientists at UC Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA, USA) tackled a fundamental issue in the current healthcare approach to determining antibiotic resistance, which fails to consider the environmental conditions within the body that influence drug efficacy. By replicating these conditions, the new test pinpointed several effective antibiotics that standard testing had dismissed. When both the new and standard tests concurred, a near-perfect prediction of treatment success or failure emerged. The study involved extensive screening of over 500 antibiotic-bacteria combinations, with the findings indicating that the standard test is inaccurate approximately 15% of the time. Since doctors depend on this test to guide treatment decisions, it may result in the prescription of inappropriate antibiotics.

Medical professionals are aware of the gold-standard test's limitations. When the suggested antibiotics prove ineffective, physicians must draw upon their experience to determine the most suitable antibiotic(s) for their patients. This study offers a potential solution to bridge the gap between the antibiotics suggested by standard testing and actual patient outcomes. The new test could lead to substantial cost savings for the healthcare sector as they endeavor to identify novel drugs to combat antimicrobial-resistant infections.

“Reevaluation of FDA-approved antibiotics may be of far greater benefit than the time and cost of developing new drugs to combat antimicrobial resistance,” explained Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital physician Lynn Fitzgibbons, M.D., “potentially leading to significant life-savings and cost-savings.”

Related Links:
UC Santa Barbara 


New
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Urine Chemistry Control
Dropper Urine Chemistry Control
New
8-Channel Pipette
SAPPHIRE 20–300 µL
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The ONC IN-CYT platform leverages cross indication biomarker cyto-signatures (Photo courtesy of OraLiva)

AI-Powered Cytology Tool Detects Early Signs of Oral Cancer

Each year, 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer, yet only 28% of cases are identified at an early stage, when the five-year survival rate exceeds 85%. Most diagnoses occur in later stages, when... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood (Photo courtesy of University of the Basque Country)

Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine due to its ability to accelerate healing and repair tissue. However, obtaining PRP traditionally requires expensive centrifugation... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: PD-1 protein blockade is the standard treatment for advanced melanoma among the different types of immunotherapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Precision Tool Predicts Immunotherapy Treatment Failure in Melanoma Patients

Melanoma, though accounting for only about 4% of skin tumors, is the deadliest form of skin cancer due to its high potential to metastasize. While immunotherapy, especially PD-1 protein blockade, has revolutionized... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel method to analyze tumor growth rates (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Novel Method To Analyze Tumor Growth Rates Helps Tracks Progression Between Diagnosis and Surgery

Patients diagnosed with breast cancer often worry about how quickly their tumors grow while they wait for surgery, and whether delays in treatment might allow the disease to spread beyond the point of cure.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.