Welcome Note: Dr. Shubhi from Medical Learning Hub welcomed the esteemed speaker, Dr. Suresh Kumar D and Dr. Lakshmi Sree along with the participants.
Session 1 : AMR: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever? by Dr. Suresh Kumar D, Infectious Disease Specialist at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai - Key Points covered in the session were:
- AMR Definition: Resistance of microbes to drugs, making infections harder to treat due to antibiotic overuse/misuse.
- Global Impact: Could cause 10M deaths/year by 2050, costing $166T, with rising resistance in bacteria like E. coli and K. pneumoniae.
- Clinical Cases: Resistant UTIs (e.g., Klebsiella), unnecessary antibiotics in dengue (30-60% misuse).
- Causes: Prescriber habits (defensive medicine), patient demand, and lack of education.
- Solutions: Follow the 4 Decision Moments, confirm need, culture first, narrow therapy, and minimize duration.
- Fleming’s Rule: Use the highest effective dose for the shortest time.
- India’s Challenge: High carbapenem resistance (~70%) and antibiotic overprescription.
- Key Action: Never prescribe without diagnosis, syndromic approach, targeted therapy, and stewardship.
Session 2 : Strengthening AMR Surveillance and Diagnostics, Dr Lakshmi Sree, Associate Consultant, Department of Microbiology, Central Reference Laboratory at Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited. - Key Points covered in the session were:
- AMR Crisis: Global threat with few new antibiotics; requires urgent action to prevent a post-antibiotic era.
- One Health Approach: Integrates human, animal, and environmental health to combat AMR spread.
- India’s National Action Plan (NAP-AMR): Six priorities, awareness, surveillance, infection control, optimized antibiotic use, research, and leadership.
- Surveillance Systems:
- ICMR-AMRSN: Tertiary hospital network for lab data and molecular research.
- NARS-Net (NCDC): 50 labs nationwide using WHONET for GLASS reporting.
- Diagnostics: Automated ID (MALDI-TOF), rapid tests (e.g., Carba-5 for carbapenemases), and molecular assays (e.g., Xpert Carba-R).
- Challenges: Fragmented One Health data, rural underreporting, lab resource gaps, and slow tech adoption.
- Solutions:
- Strengthen labs with EQAS and training.
- Expand digital platforms for real-time data.
- Boost community awareness (e.g., Red Line Campaign). - Goal: Standardized, actionable surveillance to guide policies and treatment.
Q&A Session: Participants actively engaged in a Q&A session moderated by Dr.Shubhi, where Dr. Suresh Kumar D and Dr. Lakshmi Sree, addressed queries and shared expert insights.
Closing Remarks: Dr. Shubhi concluded the session with a vote of thanks, appreciating the speaker and participants for their valuable contributions.
Topic : Combating Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies for a Healthier Future
- Session 1: AMR: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever? by Dr. Suresh Kumar D, Infectious Disease Specialist at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai (20 Min)
- Session 2: Strengthening AMR Surveillance and Diagnostics, Dr Lakshmi Sree, Associate Consultant, Department of Microbiology, Central Reference Laboratory at Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited. (20 Min)
- Q&A Session: (10 min)
- Vote of Thanks : (5 mins)
- Consultant
- Family medicine
- Pediatricians
- ENTs
- GPs
- ID specialist
