Antimicrobials have transformed the management of infections. The emergence of resistance, however, has become a major problem both in primary and secondary care. There is a need for new ways to deal with resistant infections, and the use of newer antimicrobials is only a small part of the solution. Suffice to say that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (hospital or community acquired), virulent strains of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea, multidrug resistant tuberculosis and invasive streptococcal infections have continued to increase in recent times, and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This symposium dealt with some of these issues and suggested ways to investigate and manage them.
