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Antimicrobial resistance - theory and methods

Approx. 9 hours to complete

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Course Summary

Explore the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance and learn methods to prevent and control it in this course.

Key Learning Points

Understand the mechanisms behind antimicrobial resistance
Learn the factors contributing to the spread of resistant bacteria
Discover strategies for preventing and controlling antimicrobial resistance

Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have

Infectious Disease Specialist
- USA: $214,000
- India: ₹1,580,000
- Spain: €80,000
Public Health Officer
- USA: $65,000
- India: ₹500,000
- Spain: €30,000
Microbiologist
- USA: $69,000
- India: ₹630,000
- Spain: €24,000

Learning Outcomes

Understand the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and how it develops
Identify factors contributing to the spread of resistant bacteria
Develop strategies for preventing and controlling antimicrobial resistance

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of biology and microbiology
Familiarity with infectious diseases

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced
Video lectures
Quizzes

Similar Courses

The Science of Well-Being
Introduction to Epidemiology
Infectious Disease Modelling

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization

Related Books

Description

The course will cover the topics related to antimicrobial resistance with basic definitions and overview on antimicrobials their use and the emergence and spread of resistance. The course will guide you through the concepts and the importance of resistance spread and dissemination and how that happens. It will show you how bacteria become resistant and which mechanisms they might use for this. And as part of the course you will also receive some training in methods for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and detection of specific resistance in the microbiological laboratories with the basic methods available and with focus on the obtention of good quality results which can be interpreted and used for different purposes.

Additionally, it will show you how to use genomic analysis tools to analyze whole genome sequencing data to detect resistance genes (and or other genes of interest) in a simple and easy way using online tools freely available. In the new new version an additional module including detection of specific resistance mechanisms was added. After this course you should be able to: 1. Describe the most important families of antimicrobials and mode of action 2. Understand the basic concepts of antimicrobial resistance from several perspectives (clinical, research and microbiological) 3. Enumerate and describe how bacteria can become resistant and the mechanisms that may be involved in that process 4. Describe how antimicrobial resistance emerges and spreads around the world including concepts of antimicrobial resistance transfer, selection and dissemination 5. Enumerate the methods used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) 6. Compare dilution and diffusion methods and know the basic techniques of agar disk diffusion, broth dilution and agar dilution methods 7. Have detailed theoretical knowledge on how to perform the main methods in a laboratory 8. Know the basic concepts about analysis and interpretation of results of AST, including different breakpoints, cut-off setting and their applications. 9. Understand the importance and related concepts related to quality management and quality assurance method standardization, applied to AST 10. Relate the information obtained in this course with real cases of resistant bacteria spreading in patients, the community, animals or the environment 11. Relate the phenotypical results with results from genotyping using molecular techniques for detection of resistance mechanisms 12. Understand the concept and be able to apply genomic analysis tools used to detect resistance genes and other relevant genes from Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data (with demonstration of selected online tools) Disclaimer: Please note that the guidelines and methods referred or links included in these materials are updated when the videos lectures are produced and before the course is released, however these might become outdated with time.

Outline

Welcome to the course
Welcome to this course
NOTE: This version has been added an additional module on detection of Specific resistances

Module A- Antimicrobial and antimicrobial action
Lecture 1- Antimicrobials and antimicrobial classification
Lecture 2- Antimicrobials and antimicrobial action
Quizz Lectures 1-2 (antimicrobials)

Module B - Antimicrobials and resistance
Lecture 3- Antimicrobials and resistance
Lecture 4- Antimicrobials and resistance- causes and mechanisms
Lecture 5- Antimicrobial resistance- emergence and dissemination
Lecture 6- Antimicrobials and resistance - selection
Q2- Quizz Lectures 3-6 (antimicrobial resistance)

Module C- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Lecture 7- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Lecture 8- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing- methods
Lecture 9- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing- disk diffusion
Lecture 10- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing- agar dilution
Lecture 11- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing- broth dilution
Q3- Quizz Lectures 7-11 (AST)

Module D- Interpretation
Lecture 12- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing- interpretation
Q4- Quizz Lecture 12 (interpretation AST)

Module E- Quality assurance
Lecture 13- Quality management in Antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Lecture 14- Quality assurance when doing antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Q5- Quizz Lectures 13-14 (Quality assurance)

Module F- Alternatives to AST- Genome analysis tools
Lecture 15- ResFinder tool principles and applications
Lecture 16- My Database Finder (MyDbFinder) tool principles and applications
Q6- Quizz Lectures 15-16 (WGS tools)

Module G- specific resistances
Beta-lactam resistance in Escherichia coli: ESBL, AmpC and carbapenemases
Beta-lactam resistance in staphylococcus aureus: MRSA
Colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae
Closing remarks to course completion
Quiz 7

Summary of User Reviews

Find out what people are saying about Coursera's Antimicrobial Resistance course. Users have given positive feedback on the course's comprehensive coverage of the topic. However, some users have pointed out drawbacks such as the course being too basic and lacking interaction.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Comprehensive coverage of the topic

Pros from User Reviews

In-depth coverage of the subject matter
Clear and concise explanations
Great supplementary materials provided
Good for those with little to no background knowledge on the topic
Instructors are knowledgeable and engaging

Cons from User Reviews

Course is too basic for those with prior knowledge on the topic
Lack of interaction and engagement with other students
Limited discussion on real-world applications and implications
Some of the quiz questions are too easy
Course may not be suitable for those looking for advanced-level information

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