The scale of global antibiotic consumption demands urgent attention, with China alone accounting for approximately 25% of worldwide use. Respiratory tract infections represent a significant proportion of this consumption, with many prescriptions addressing viral infections that require no antimicrobial intervention. This disproportionate use directly accelerates antimicrobial resistance development and undermines the clinical utility of our existing antibiotic arsenal.
A new commentary in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine examines whether biomarker-guided prescribing strategies could meaningfully reduce unnecessary antibiotic dispensing without compromising patient outcomes. Research evidence suggests that procalcitonin and C-reactive protein testing, when combined with host-response markers and integrated into clinical decision-support systems, could reduce unnecessary antibiotic use by 20–40% while maintaining safety profiles and clinical effectiveness.
These findings underscore a critical opportunity: targeted implementation of biomarker testing in high-consumption regions could yield substantial public health gains, reducing selective pressure for resistance development while improving prescribing precision. Global adoption of such strategies represents an essential component of comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship.
Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
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