Final answer:
Antibiotic resistance is indicated by code Z16.- and addresses the problem of drug-resistant microorganisms, with conditions like MRSA and MDR-TB becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Superbugs, or MDRs, are a significant issue in healthcare, leading to over 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. Efforts are underway to prescribe antibiotics more judiciously to slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antibiotic Resistance and Z16.- Coding
Antibiotic resistance is a major concern in modern medicine. The code Z16.- is used for infections with drug-resistant microorganisms, indicating that the pathogen is resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance occurs when harmful bacteria change in such a way that the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections is reduced. This is a consequence of evolution through natural selection, where resistant bacteria survive and multiply.
Multidrug-resistant microbes (MDRs), often termed “superbugs”, carry multiple resistance mechanisms, posing a significant challenge for treatment as they are resistant to various antimicrobials. Notable examples include Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and Extensively Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (XDR-TB). The CDC notes that MDRs cause over 2 million infections and at least 23,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone.
Another critical aspect contributing to antibiotic resistance is the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which accelerates the adaptation and spread of resistance. To counteract this, health professionals are becoming more cautious in prescribing antibiotics and are conducting more tests before deciding if an antibiotic treatment is necessary.
The ESKAPE pathogens represent a group of bacteria that are capable of "escaping" conventional antimicrobial therapy. Due to their resistance, infections caused by these pathogens (including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species) are notoriously difficult to treat and are commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections.