Superbugs & You

In this episode, we will explore the ways that antimicrobial resistance impacts treatment for some of the most vulnerable patients, such as those undergoing cancer treatment or receiving bone marrow transplants. A recent survey of oncologists showed that 95% of them worry about the impact of superbugs on the future of cancer treatments, and one in five patients receiving chemotherapy will have a bacterial infection. In this episode, you will hear directly from a patient who had a bacterial infection while fighting cancer, from front-line clinicians, and from a researcher driving policy at a national level.

Clostridioides difficile (also known as C. diff or CDI) can cause deadly diarrhea. It is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States and rates of infections are rising globally. In this episode, we hear how a young Mom was impacted by the disease, how leading healthcare organizations are driving best practice guidelines, and how the US CDC is tracking this superbug.

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is found in the community and in healthcare systems. According to the WHO, hospitalized patients with MRSA infections are 64% more likely to die than people with drug-sensitive infections. It can be difficult to treat. In this episode, hear from a patient who battled an infection for years, a infectious disease clinician who shares his daily challenges, and a researcher who using an unique approach to find the next antibiotic.

In this final episode of Season 1, we discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted strategies to address antimicrobial resistance. Our guests will describe the patient experience of surviving COVID, the role of antimicrobial stewardship in managing COVID patients, and how the COVID-19 pandemic potentiates AMR and emerging approaches to the surveillance, treatment and prevention of AMR.

In this episode, we discuss the global issue of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis or TB. Our guests in this episode will describe living with TB, and the experience of managing these difficult-to-treat infections. They will also examine the role that social structures, local governance, accessible and affordable treatments, and patient advocacy play in tuberculosis transmission and management.

In this episode, we discuss sepsis and the challenge of an infection caused by a drug-resistant microorganism. Our guests describe the long-term patient experience of surviving and living with a sepsis diagnosis, as well as the current diagnosis and treatment options for sepsis. Finally, we discuss global approaches for new treatments, and the need for advocacy and awareness. 

In this episode we discuss the global impact of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections. Our guests in this episode will describe the experience of living through, diagnosing, and managing these difficult-to-treat infections.