| Antibiotics are regarded as miracle drugs. They are | | | | According to a University of Tennessee study, |
| our most effective weapons against infectious | | | | researchers Sandra R Arnold and Sharon E Straus |
| diseases brought about by microorganisms. However, | | | | found that resistance to antimicrobial agents by many |
| many bacteria are now able to resist the effects of | | | | human pathogens has been linked to excessive use |
| antimicrobial agents. Antibacterial resistance is the | | | | of antibiotics. The researchers said that the misuse |
| ability of bacteria to withstand and overcome attacks | | | | of antibiotics for viral infections and the excessive |
| by antibiotics. Increases in resistant bacterial strains | | | | use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the place of |
| are threatening to human health. In fact, such | | | | narrower-spectrum antibiotics are well-known |
| problem is wasting an already limited health care | | | | throughout the world. So, there is no secret that this |
| resource, (WHO). | | | | is happening. Similar studies have found that some |
| Antibiotics are medications used in the treatment of | | | | countries allow over-the-counter sale of antibiotics, |
| infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites. In | | | | actions that should be forbidden because it helps the |
| the past, treating bacterial infections was very | | | | spread of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, (IDSA). |
| difficult. In fact, before the discovery of antibiotics, | | | | Researchers at the University of Antwerp (UA) |
| many patients contracting bacterial infections never | | | | Belgium found that countries with higher rates of |
| made it out of hospital beds alive. This is why the | | | | antibiotic prescriptions have higher rates of antibiotic |
| discovery of antibiotics was one of the most | | | | resistance. This confirms the argument that high |
| important health advances in human history, (WHO). | | | | rates of antibiotic prescriptions and excessive use |
| The over prescribing, increase use, and misuse of | | | | increases the rate of development of antibiotic |
| antibiotics in the past 70 years has opened the flood | | | | resistant organisms causing infections that are difficult |
| gates to an increasing number of microbes that are | | | | to treat. |
| resistant to antimicrobials, resulting in death, incredible | | | | An alarming study found that farm animals are being |
| suffering, disability, and a marked increase in health | | | | fed antibiotics, the same antibiotics that are |
| care expenditures according to the World Health | | | | prescribed to humans. According to studies done by |
| Organization (WHO). | | | | The Department of Agriculture in 1999, 2001, and |
| There has to be a solution to the rapid increase in | | | | 2006, over 80 percent of pig farms, cattle feedlots, |
| antimicrobial resistant microorganisms. According to | | | | and sheep farms administer antibiotics at low doses |
| the WHO, there are two main factors responsible for | | | | for non-therapeutic reasons (non disease treatment) |
| the proliferation and spread of resistant | | | | and that most of the antibiotics used on animals are |
| microorganisms. Those two factors are overuse and | | | | identical or very closely related to those used to |
| misuse of antibiotics, and the spread of resistant | | | | prevent diseases or infections in humans. These |
| organisms among people, communities, and countries. | | | | antibiotics are tetracyclines, marcolides, bacitracin, |
| As a result of these findings, aggressive and | | | | penicillins, and sulfonamides. Bacteria in animals and in |
| proactive interventions are necessary in the two | | | | humans are able to develop resistance to antibiotics |
| areas mentioned. The World Health Organization has | | | | when exposed to low doses of antimicrobial agents |
| identified the two areas needing interventions. Those | | | | over a long period of time, which contributes greatly |
| two areas are improving antimicrobial use and | | | | to the rise of pathogens that are able to defeat |
| blocking transmission of resistant organisms. | | | | both human and animal defenses, said the study. For |
| Health care providers should refrain from over | | | | several years scientific studies have confirmed that |
| prescribing antibiotics to patients who may otherwise | | | | the use of antibiotics in farm animals contributes |
| not need such treatments. Physicians should limit the | | | | greatly to the overall development of antibiotic |
| amounts of broad-spectrum antibiotics prescribed. A | | | | resistant bacteria in humans, {Center for Global |
| Recent study found that physicians are very quick to | | | | Development (CGD)}. |
| prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat | | | | After an extensive investigation about the practice |
| infections of unknown origins. This is like treating | | | | of feeding farm animals antibiotics, the World Health |
| infections blindly. Treating infections without knowing | | | | Organization concluded that the practice of using |
| the kind of bacteria present is causing antibiotic | | | | antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feeds |
| resistant bacteria to be on the rise. The study found | | | | should be stopped. The WHO concluded that such |
| that doing so actually increases the resistance of | | | | practice should be discontinued because resistant |
| microorganisms that are not the target organism | | | | bacteria found in animals as a result of exposure to |
| being sought after or the organism responsible for | | | | antibiotic can also be transmitted to humans through |
| causing a specific infection. Therefore, special care | | | | the consumption of meat, from close or direct |
| should be taken when ordering bacteria-specific | | | | contact with animals, or through the environment, |
| antimicrobial agents to treat specific infections. Treat | | | | (CGD). |
| with the narrow-spectrum in mind; don't overdo it. | | | | A study by researchers of The Economist found that |
| In fact, antimicrobial treatments should be rendered | | | | pigs were carriers of MRSA, which can be passed on |
| only as a last resort. Before doctors order or | | | | to humans either through eating meats infected with |
| prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, they should get | | | | bacteria, skin to skin contact, or touching animal |
| antibiotic-specific test results from the microbiology | | | | contaminated surfaces. |
| lab. The micro lab tests for bacterial sensitivities to | | | | Disease conditions that have been developed as a |
| specific antibiotics. So, physicians should not give any | | | | consequence of antibacterial resistant organisms are |
| antibiotics before they get results from the micro lab, | | | | Methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), |
| even if it is broad-spectrum. At the present time, | | | | an infectious disease caused by the Staphylococcus |
| many health care providers are giving broad-spectrum | | | | aureus bacteria found on the skin of humans. It is |
| antibiotics before results arrive from the microbiology | | | | resistant to the antibiotic Methicillin. It causes havoc |
| laboratory, not a very good practice for the | | | | when it gets into the blood stream of human causing |
| containment of antimicrobial resistant organisms (Killer | | | | sepsis, very deadly. Unsterile surgical instruments and |
| Super Bugs). | | | | procedures are usually the culprit for causing the |
| Many patients are misusing antimicrobial agents on a | | | | bacteria to enter the body. A very large percent of |
| large scale. Some take it for the common cold and | | | | MRSA is found in post surgical patients. |
| other ailments not warranting antibacterial treatments. | | | | A deadly resistant form of TB called extremely |
| A study conducted by the Infectious Disease Society | | | | drug-resistant (XXDR) TB that has never been seen |
| of America (IDSA) found that patients were a | | | | before in the U.S. has recently been discovered in a |
| significant source of resistant organisms. The IDSA | | | | patient, (AP). According to a recent Associated Press |
| study also found that patients are willing to take | | | | (AP) study, TB, malaria, and HIV are mutating at an |
| antibiotics for conditions that are viral in nature and | | | | extremely fast rate, traveling in and out of countries, |
| not related to bacterial infections, such as the | | | | and the main reason is the overuse and misuse of |
| common cold, flu, sore throat, cough, or earache. Not | | | | the very drugs that were developed to eradicate |
| only that, the study discovered that a small percent | | | | these infectious microbes. Drug resistance is a major |
| of patients will save part of the antibiotic course for | | | | road block to the successful treatment of HIV/AIDS, |
| future use, further adding resistant microorganism to | | | | tuberculosis, and malaria, the three diseases needing |
| their bodies. | | | | urgent actions in developing countries, (CDG). |