What is Antibiotic Resistance?

Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic has lost the ability to control or kill bacterial growth. This means the bacteria become “resistant” and multiply, even in the presence of an antibiotic. There are many commonly-known resistant infections called Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) that plague hospitals and other healthcare environments.

Many bacteria. A few are drug resistant.

Antibiotics kill many of the bacteria that are causing the illness in addition to the good bacteria.

The drug-resistant bacteria now have the perfect environment to multiply and take over.

When Did Antibiotic Resistance Start?

Antibiotic resistance started being a noticeable problem in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Since then, resistance to dozens of drugs has become a serious (and sometimes fatal) problem. In May 2016, the first case of an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli (carrying the MCR-1 gene) was discovered in a human in the United States. The MCR-1 gene makes the bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin, which is used as a last-resort drug to treat patients with multi-drug-resistant infections.

Are HAI’s Antibiotic Resistant?

More than 70% of the bacteria that cause HAIs are resistant to at least one of the drugs most commonly used to treat them. Common infections include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Clostridium difficile.

What Will Happen If Things Don’t Change?

If no changes are made, 10 million people per year are expected to die from drug-resistant infections by the year 2050, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Hospitals are meant to lead people along a path to healing, but at what point does the risk become too great? Already, HAIs are becoming increasingly common every year and sometimes result in patient deaths. The unfortunate reality is many times, resistant infections are acquired inside the hospital during treatment via cross-contamination. While many hospitals have taken action by implementing rigorous bedside cleaning standards, methods like sanitizing wipes and chemical sprays have proven to be ineffective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Read On About Shared Devices

Contact Us

425.318.7900

19201 120th Ave NE, Ste 200
Bothell, WA 98011

[email protected]

Request A Demo

Want to see our products in action? Set up a free demo with one of our product specialists.

Request A Demo

Blog

Protect yourself from COVID-19 with Ultraviolet light (UV-C)

If you’ve found yourself currently trying to master the fine art of opening doors with your elbows or sleeve amid the rising concern of coronavirus . . . you’re not alone! Most cases of COVID-19 are mild, but it is spreading quickly through our communities. Efforts to...

Why UV Light is the ONLY Solution – UV is the Future!

UV light is already the go-to solution for disinfecting community water supplies. Many hospitals and health care institutions currently use UV light to kill potentially dangerous bacteria, such as MRSA. Now many more industries are taking advantage of the safe and...

10 health code violation sins you’re committing in your kitchen

That fuzzy face might be hard to resist, but Fluffy does not belong on the counter. Between the kitty litter between her toes, dander-ridden fur and last night's catch lingering on her lips, she is full of bacteria that can transfer to your food. Fido isn't out of the...

This Product Is In High Demand

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt life around the globe, Vioguard is committed to providing high-quality disinfecting solutions to its customers. We recognize the essential role our UV-C sanitization devices play in killing pathogens and eliminating cross-contamination across medical, corporate and consumer environments. While we have ramped up production to address the current demand for our technologies, certain products may be in a “Back-Order” status.

Please know that our staff remains active in maintaining updated inventory levels on our website. If a product is marked “Back-Ordered”, it will ship when available. We expect that to be across the coming 2 to 3 weeks. You may purchase a “Back-Ordered” product at any time, this will ensure prompt delivery once the product is available. If you have other products in your order that are available now, those products will ship immediately.

We thank you for your continued trust in our products and hope you remain safe and healthy during this challenging time.

Alternatively, you may visit Amazon with regard to additional product availability.