Antimicrobial Resistance in Death Certification
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Recording Antimicrobial Resistance during Death Certification in England
IRAS ID
340243
Contact name
Louis/LG Grandjean
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL Great Ormond Street Institute
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2024/02/73, Data Protection Registration Number; IG/01772, Information Governance Advisory service Case Reference Number; To be assigned, ISRCTN
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Antimicrobial resistance refers to when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites (bugs) no longer respond to antibiotic medicines. It has been estimated that, by 2050, 10 million deaths a year will be caused by antimicrobial resistance in England. For this reason, antimicrobial resistance has been characterised as global health emergency by the World Health Organisation.
Despite the importance of antimicrobial resistance, we have limited information about how many people die every year due to infections resistant to antibiotics. Yet, knowing this is critical, as it drives political and public awareness about the problem, highlighting the need for better treatments.
Previous studies have attempted to estimate the true numbers of antibiotic resistant infections using a technique called modelling. Modelling uses math to estimate the numbers of deaths, based on how groups of patients with antibiotic sensitive and antibiotic resistant infections behave, as well as total numbers of infections. Because modelling doesn’t look at individual patient cases though, it can lead to erroneous results and underestimation of the problem.
In this study, we will calculate the total number of deaths caused by antibiotic resistant infections in England in 2021, 2022 and 2023. We aim to do that by anonymously linking the cause of death of each patient as documented on the death certificate with the bugs in their specimens collected up to 28 days before their death. Every patient who died in England in 2021, 2022 and 2023 will be included in the study but their data will be collected in a way that will not allow them to be identified. Participants who expressed the wish for their data not to be used for research purposes will be excluded. We believe that with this approach we will be able to accurately calculate the total number of deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0084
Date of REC Opinion
20 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion