Antibiotics losing the fight against deadly bacteria

[marmar]

from the Independent UK:



Our last line of defence against bacterial infections is fast becoming weakened by a growing number of deadly strains that are resistant to even the strongest antibiotics, according to new figures given to The Independent on Sunday by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

The disturbing statistics reveal an explosion in cases of super-resistant strains of bacteria such as E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, a cause of pneumonia and urinary tract infections, in less than five years.

Until 2008, there were fewer than five cases a year in the UK of bugs resistant to carbapenem, our most effective intravenous (IV) antibiotic. New statistics reveal how there have been 386 cases already this year, in what the HPA has called a "global public health concern". Doctors are particularly concerned because carbapenems are often the last hope for hospital patients suffering from pneumonia and blood infections that other antibiotics have failed to treat. Such cases were unknown in the UK before 2003.

Years of over-prescribing antibiotics, bought over the counter in some countries, and their intensive use in animals, enabling resistant bacteria to enter the food chain, are among the factors behind the global spread. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation, some 25,000 people a year die of antibiotic-resistant infections in the European Union. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/antibiotics-losing-the-fight-against-deadly-bacteria-2356583.html

[Warren DeMontague]

1. remember, kids, evolution is "just a theory"!

:eyes:

[Peter1x9]

2. A large part of the problem was mentioned in the article, but it left out another big cause.

It failed to take into account the stupidity of the people who don't follow the directions on their medication. I'm referring to those that miss doses or quit taking the antibiotics early because they feel better. They just end up helping the bacteria develop more drug resistance. There's a good reason why the doctor ALWAYS tells you to finish the entire prescription whenever he/she prescribes you an antibiotic.

[markpkessinger]

13. Actually, I think a lot of folks misapprehend what is meant by "antibiotic resistance"

Based on conversations I've had with friends over the years who have battled very difficult infections, there were a number of folks I came across who figured that "antibiotic resistance" meant that they, the patient, developed resistance to the antibiotic, thus rendering it ineffective. One friend in particular, who was battling a variety of AIDS-related illnesses (among them a very resistant strain of staph which ultimately killed him) was particularly astonished (and not at all sure about whether he believed me or not) when I explained that antibiotic resistance did not mean he, personally, had become resistant to various antibiotics, but rather it was the organism that was invading his body (namely, staph) that had become resistant. It seemed almost like he had very little awareness of bacteria as a separate, living organism apart from himself.

[applegrove]

3. People need to know that if given antibiotics you have to take the full course

othewise, if you stop half way through your treatment, it can teach bacteria to become resistant.

[shanti]

4. +1

some people stop taking the antibiotic the minute they start feeling better, instead of continuing the regimen to its completion. also, some take antibiotics for non-bacterial problems, reducing future effectiveness. then there are the folks who don't complete the regimen to "save the meds for the future", which wouldn't be necessary if there was universal health care! :( the future looks increasingly bleak.

[applegrove]

7. My cousin's husband has been fighting C dificile for almost 5 months. He went in for a hip

replacement and caught it in the hospital. very worrying.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I know this, but don't need to be reminded as I have a kid who has pneumonia right now. :^(

It's just a surprise case of "walking pneumonia" but still...

[Riley18]

6. My son just got antibiotics tonight for a sinus infection. He could go

for Meds because his insurance doesn't run out until October. I dread what will happen to my kids without insurance since I had to drop them thanks to Rick Scott's 3% tax on public workers.

[frazzled]

8. My husband had to be on an antibiotic of "last resort" last year

First in IV form and then in massive doses of pill form. It was for a bad staph infection. Just seeing that term "last resort" made me very nervous--I thought, if this is the last resort and doesn't work, what then?

Fortunately, it did work, but to be on the safe side his surgeon recommended surgery to remove the hematoma that was the site of the infection.

The most important thing here is that antibiotics should ONLY ever be given for real bacterial infections. So many people demand (and get) antibiotics for all kinds of things.

[JCMach1]

9. Even worse, so do pigs, chickens, cows, and even Fido

:(

[NickB79]

10. I remember adding tetracycline to the animal feed mixes back in the 90's

We'd grind our own feed on the farm, so we'd mix in the 3/4 ton of corn, the 1/4 ton of soy, some bales of alfalfa, the 50-lb bags of vitamins and minerals, and then a nice 5-POUND bag of tetracycline.

In retrospect, that was a bone-headed move on the part of the farming community.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

11. It's because the stupid doctors give them to everyone regardless of if they NEED them or not!

Parents insist upon them if their kid gets a cold. Give your kid some children's tylenol, make them lay down, and they'll get over it. We DO have an immune system for a reason, ya know. People piss me off. We're all going to die because everyone INSISTS on having a pill for EVERYTHING! UGH.

[ikri]

12. There are a few doctors to blame too

I remember going to the doctors a few years ago with a throat infection, probably nothing too serious but I had picked it up from a friend who had experienced some complications from it. Even though the doctor said it was nothing serious and acknowledged that it was a virus he prescribed penicillin.

Penicillin for a viral infection would be utterly useless, he knew it, I knew it, and yet he still prescribed it to me. I didn't pick up the prescription from the chemist as I knew how useless it would be & changed doctors soon after.

All antibiotics should be the medicine of last resort, not just used as a placebo to quiet patients.