Women in Science Distinguished Seminar Series

Melinda Pettigrew, Yale School of Public HealthOver the past several decades the emergence of antibiotic resistance has eroded our ability to treat bacterial infections and negatively impacts on our ability to perform common and lifesaving medical procedures. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. COPD is characterized by intermittent acute exacerbations of disease (AECOPD) that are often caused by bacterial infection with pathobionts such as Haemophilus influenzae. Thus, antibiotics are commonly prescribed for treatment and prevention of AECOPD. We will discuss the global health threat posed by antibiotic resistance and examine antibiotic use in COPD patients as a specific example of the clinical and public health challenges that arise in balancing the needs of individual patients and the public health imperative of reducing the injudicious use of antibiotics to combat the global threat of antibiotic resistance.