抗生素的失效－－細菌快跑（ESKAPE）

Eradication of Antibiotic-resistant Agents: ESKAPE

抗藥性細菌的增多對感染控制而言是一個棘手且重要的課題。根據美國傳染病學會(Infectious Diseases Society of America; IDSA) 專家學者所組織的抗生素效益評估小組(Antimicrobial Availability Task Force; AATF) 在2004 年開始調查抗藥細菌大量出現的原因，其認為與大型藥廠投入抗生素研發能量的降低有直接關係。之後數年便開始強調高抗藥性細菌的問題並且建議政府機關以立法方式促進抗生素之研發。AATF 亦經過調查認為下列數種細菌面臨無藥可用，包含Enterococcus faecium、Staphylococcus aureus、Klebsiella pneumoniae、Acinetobacter baumannii、Pseudomonas aeruginosa 及Enterobacterspecies，縮寫則為ESKAPE。阻止高抗藥細菌在台灣各醫院的氾濫傳播，除了仰賴醫院感控措施嚴格推行外，亦必須提高研發新型態抗生素能量才不會面臨無藥可用的困境。

The outbreak of antibiotic-resistant infections is a major ongoing public health concern for infection control. In 2004, the Antimicrobial Availability Task Force (AATF) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) was charged with evaluating the current trend of decreasing investments in antimicrobial research by major pharmaceutical companies at a time of increasing antimicrobial resistance. To reinvigorate pharmaceutical investment in antibiotic research and development for inhibition of antibiotic-resistant infections, the IDSA has continually worked with congressional leaders on legislation for offering incentives to such research. The AATF has also prepared a review to highlight pathogens that are frequently resistant to licensed antimicrobials, such as Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species; these organisms were reported as the “ESKAPE” pathogens. To prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria and avoid an era of untreatable infections, it has become imperative to design a plan for infection control and development of newer, more powerful antibiotics.