Common Chest Infection Lands Patient in ICU; Doctors Warn Antibiotic Misuse Is Fuelling a Dangerous Crisis

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woman with a chest infection, which can otherwise be treated with medicines, had to be admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital as her condition deteriorated since none of the standard antibiotics worked on her. The doctors rushed to find an antimicrobial that could help her recover. While this is not an uncommon story in the critical care areas in hospitals across the country, doctors are worried that it is increasing the incidence of antibiotic resistance. Calling it a health emergency, doctors say treatment choices are extremely limited, and the number of patients is increasing. According to experts, the sensitivity report of patients shows repetitive Rs – resistant - for the most common antibiotics.

What is Antimicrobial resistance?

Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to no longer respond to drugs designed to kill them. This makes infections harder to treat, increases the risk of disease spread, and can lead to severe illness, disability, and death. Experts say AMR is driven by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medicines in humans, animals, and agriculture. The types of microorganisms that can develop resistance to antimicrobials include:

• Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics.
• Viruses develop resistance to antiviral medicines.
• Fungi develop resistance to antifungal medicines

How does AMR happen?

According to doctors, AR is a naturally occurring process. However, increases in antimicrobial resistance are driven by a combination of germs exposed to antibiotics and antifungals, and the spread of those germs and their resistance mechanisms.

How does antibiotic and antifungal use affect antimicrobial resistance?

Antibiotics and antifungals kill some germs that cause infections, but they also kill helpful germs that protect our bodies from infection. AMR speeds up when antibiotics and antifungals pressure bacteria and fungi to adapt, letting the AMR germs survive, multiply, and spread to other germs. These surviving germs have resistance traits in their DNA that can spread to other germs. To survive, germs then develop defence strategies against antibiotics and antifungals known as resistance mechanisms. DNA tells the germ how to make specific proteins, which determine the germ's resistance mechanisms. Bacteria and fungi can carry genes for many types of resistance. Alarmingly, antimicrobial-resistant germs can share their resistance mechanisms with other germs that have not been exposed to antibiotics or antifungals.

How to prevent AMR?

To prevent AMR, you must take note of the following:

Use antimicrobials correctly

You must only take antibiotics when prescribed by a doctor, and not for viral infections like colds

Always finish the course

Make sure to complete the course prescribed for antibiotics, even if you start to feel better

Practice good hygiene

Always wash your hands frequently with soap and water, and follow proper infection control procedures

Get vaccinated

Vaccines are among the best ways to prevent infections in the first place

Handle food safely

Always make sure to cook foods to the recommended internal temperatures, and keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from other foods to prevent cross-contamination.