Although antibiotics have drastically reduced illness and deaths caused by bacteria ever since they were first used in the 1940s, yet resistance to them is becoming increasingly common, making the management of illnesses more challenging and complex.

The issue came up for special discussion at a recent meeting in Beirut. Called the Summit for Anti-Infectives Leadership (SAIL), the meeting attracted more than 250 physicians and clinical scientists from across Africa and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

The meeting discussed diagnostic and treatment strategies for invasive fungal and bacterial infections, such as skin and soft tissue infections, intra-abdominal infections, pneumonia and invasive fungal infections; the optimal use of new and existing therapies to improve medical outcomes; and strategies to minimize the threat of emergent antibiotic resistance.

The experts highlighted the benefits of accurate diagnoses and the importance of early treatment to optimize the use of antibiotics.

“There is a crucial need for early diagnosis and the correct treatment of infections such as intra-abdominal infections, skin and soft tissue infections, diabetic foot infections and pneumonia,” said Adel Al-Othman, assistant professor at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh.

“But, unfortunately, the overuse of the current antibiotic classes is leading to resistance and treatment failure. Many also fail to choose the appropriate antibiotics; as the right choice can decrease fatalities by 50 percent as per the latest reports,” he added.

Welcoming the outcome of the meeting, Souha Kanj, chairperson of SAIL, said more such gatherings will be organized in the future.

“The SAIL meeting is the first of a series of meetings that we now hope to organize annually, as its success confirms both the crucial need for similar conferences to share knowledge and experience in this field,” she said.