The November 1993 symposium brought together physicians, researchers, and microbiologists with experts in the field of antimicrobial resistance, to further the understanding of how resistance develops, how it spreads, how the practice of medicine affects resistance, and how to respond to the threats posed by the increasing development of antimicrobial resistance among microbial pathogens. Based on the proceedings of the symposiums, this volume contains 19 papers on topics including resistance to antibacterial agents; glycopeptide resistance in gram-positive pathogens; and molecular epidemiologic analysis of antibiotic resistant microorganisms.