Editorial Commentary: Minimizing Antimicrobial Resistance: The Key Role of the Infectious Diseases Physician

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Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a threat to the viability of current health care systems [1, 2]. This impact comes in part from the increasing prevalence of bacteria resistant to multiple anti-infective agents (i.e., multidrug-resistant organisms) that infect patients in acute care hospitals [3]. A few bacterial organisms associated with infections in the health care setting now are completely resistant to all commonly used antimicrobial agents [4, 5]. Other multidrug-resistant organisms that were previously common only in acute care hospitals recently have been recovered in extended care facilities, ambulatory surgical units, and home health care and other health care settings [6–10]. In addition, drug-resistant organisms arising in the community now appear and spread in health care settings as well [11, 12].