Pediatric Antimicrobial Resistance examines how drug-resistant infections impact children and how clinicians can lead antimicrobial-stewardship efforts that protect effectiveness of life-saving treatments. Resistance patterns continue to evolve worldwide, creating challenges for treatment, infection control, and public-health planning. This session explores clinical, microbiologic, and epidemiologic dimensions of resistance in neonates, infants, and children. Many clinicians attend a specialised Pediatrics Conference to understand emerging pathogens, resistance mechanisms, and evidence-based stewardship strategies.

This session highlights the unique vulnerabilities of children—immature immune systems, frequent infections, high antibiotic exposure, and invasive device use in hospitals. Participants will review common resistant organisms such as MRSA, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, CRE, resistant pneumococci, and drug-resistant TB. Case examples illustrate the complexity of balancing timely empiric therapy with avoiding unnecessary antibiotics.

A major focus is designing robust pediatric antimicrobial resistance pathways that adapt treatment algorithms based on local resistance profiles, age-specific considerations, and infection severity. Participants will examine stewardship tools such as optimized dosing, de-escalation, audit and feedback, diagnostic stewardship, and infection-prevention bundles.

Global perspectives highlight disparities in antibiotic access, laboratory capacity, sanitation, and vaccination coverage. Ethical considerations include balancing individual needs with population health, preventing resistance emergence, and addressing inequities in access to appropriate antibiotics.

By the end, attendees will understand how clinical decisions, surveillance data, and inter-disciplinary collaboration can safeguard antibiotic effectiveness for future generations.