By Dr Kevin Barrett, General Practitioner, Primary Care Society of Gastroenterology Committee Member

Authors: 

Dr Kevin Barrett is a General Practitioner in Rickmansworth,
Hertfordshire and Clinical Lead for Gastroenterology at the Hertfordshire Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (HVCCG). His first house job was in gastroenterology, which piqued his interest in this area and it has continued to be an interest since he became a GP in 2002.

Kevin has been involved in commissioning since 2008 and has been the clinical lead for gastroenterology for HVCCG for the last eighteen months and has worked closely with the local gastroenterologists to develop & distribute pathways for faecal calprotectin testing and the diagnosis and management of IBD. In addition he is the RCGP and Crohn’s and Colitis UK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Champion.

Target audience: For healthcare professionals interested in learning about the broader impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome and mitigation strategies.

Learning objectives: By the end of this article, you should:

- Understand how antibiotics influence the gut microbiome.

- Recognise the impact of timing of antibiotics on the gut microbiome.

- Understand the consequences of antibiotic use during different stages of life.

- Know short-term strategies to mitigate the effect of antibiotics.