RSS
Home
Antibiotics are being overused. Why that matters to all of us.
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Antibiotics were first discovered in the late 1920s when an organic chemist by the name of Alexander Fleming noted that the mold Penicillium was able to prevent bacterial growth around it. Further investigation showed that bacteria and molds secrete substances that serve to protect them from other organisms. During the twenty years that followed, Fleming and others worked to purify and find ways to harness Penicillin and other antibiotic substances. The significance of this scientific breakthrough is immeasurable in the history of medicine. Yet what was a wonderful new cure for infections during World War II, has now become common place and overused. Such overused has caused a new emerging threat to society. This threat is the emergence of “superbugs” resistant to antibiotics.
To understand why that is possible lets briefly discuss how antibiotics work. Antibiotics are produced by certain organisms to inhibit, harm, kill and slow down other foreign organisms (as a defense mechanism). Antibiotics harm foreign organisms by interfering with their functions and structure in various ways. Basically, they either directly destroy the cell walls and membranes of the foreign organisms or disrupt their essential DNA and RNA processes. The result is the death of most of the foreign organisms.
There are two significant facts that should be widely publicized in order to prevent or significantly decrease the unnecessary use of antibiotics. These are:
1. Antibiotics do not kill viruses. The reason for that is that viruses are not alive in the first place. Viruses can not reproduce unless they are inside another living cell. Basically, the process that antibiotics are designed to inhibit or destroy, do not exist in viruses. Therefore, antibiotics are useless if taken to fight a viral infection.
2. Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. This is a fact that has come to light most significantly after 1996 when the first case of antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus was reported in Japan. This is caused by the widespread use of antibacterial lotions, soaps and sprays, and most significantly with the over utilization of antibiotics. None of these agents kill 100% of bacteria, a few that are more resistant always stay alive. This phenomenon is actually favoring the evolution of strong strains of bacteria. Some of the most commonly known to the healthcare community are:
a. MRSA - methicillin/oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
b. VRE - vancomycin-resistant enterococci
c. ESBLs - extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (which are resistant to cephalosporins and monobactams)
d. PRSP - penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
The emergence of stronger or more resistant bacteria (which some call “superbugs”) should be a concern to all. There is a serious danger associated with acquiring a bacterial infection with antibiotic resistant bacteria. Specifically, the infection will not be cured by the conventional antibiotic treatment. That can result in strong and more toxic antibiotics to be required for treatment which, may have possible side-effects. In the worse case scenario, it can result in death, much like it did before antibiotics were discovered.
It is worth noting that this is a worldwide concern. Currently, the European Centre of disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is warning General Practitioners in Europe of the dangers of over prescribing antibiotics. News from Reuters India echoes the concern with overuse of antibiotics as threatening to halt vital medical procedures given the risk of complications form antibiotic resistant infections.
Here at home the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a wealth of information to educate the public in the proper use of antibiotics. So how what can be done to reduce the emergence of these dangerous “superbugs”? We can all do our part by using moderation in the use of antibiotics. Don’t assume antibiotics should be prescribed by your doctor for any kind of infections. When a prescription is given, do follow it carefully; take all the doses even when you begin to feel better. This will ensure the most significant eradication of the bacteria. Otherwise, the infection may come back, since the bacteria left behind (due to an incomplete use of a prescription) regenerates to sufficient magnitude to cause illness. Do not share antibiotics with family members or save them for another time. Follow all the instructions provided by your pharmacists to ensure the optimum results.
For more information on this topic visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/know-and-do.html
Related Articles:
Comments
