Point-Counterpoint: The “obsoletogram”—are annual hospital antibiograms still relevant?

Annual hospital antibiograms, cumulative reports of antimicrobial susceptibility data from clinical isolates, are widely used to guide empiric antibiotic therapy, monitor resistance trends, and support antimicrobial stewardship. Most hospital antibiograms are compiled annually from clinical bacterial isolates, using the first isolate per patient and species. Although antibiograms have long proven their value, some now question whether traditional versions still meet modern clinical needs, given the need for personalized medical decision-making and emerging new diagnostic technologies that can provide faster, actionable results. In the following point-counterpoint article, the limitations of traditional antibiograms and the view that they may no longer be adequate for contemporary surveillance or decision-making are contrasted with the reasons antibiograms may remain essential and how they can evolve to stay relevant in modern healthcare.