 
Antibiotics, once widely popularly known as miracle drugs, are increasingly becoming ineffective against common diseases like typhoid, pneumonia, and urinary infections. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sounded an alarm over this alarming trend. Antibiotic resistance has emerged as one of the largest global health threats. Once a bacterial infection is reached, it’s not as easy to deal with, often leading to extended illness, greater medical expenditure, and even death. The blog goes on to explore the ICMR’s findings, the impact of antibiotic resistance, and the steps in fight against the problem.
The Growing Threat of Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance arises when the bacteria adapt and become immunized to the drugs meant for killing them. Over time, many disease-causing bacteria have evolved resistance to antibiotics commonly used to treat such diseases, including pneumonia, typhoid, and urinary infections. This is known to have resulted in acute health conditions beyond what could be treated by standard remedies.
Recent ICMR shows the emergence of a mult-drug-resistant bacterium causing rapid growth in India. Such bacteria are already resistant to the antibiotics that were being used since decades for the treatment of simple infections.
This phenomenon has serious implications for public health since it is continuous and widespread.
Effect on Typhoid, Pneumonia, and Urinary Infections
The impact of antibiotic resistance is particularly felt in infections like typhoid, pneumonia, and urinary infection. Such infections that were once routinely curable by antibiotics now call for more aggressive drugs or concurrent therapies because of increasing resistance.
- Typhoid
Traditionally, typhoid caused by Salmonella, has been treated using antibiotics that include ciprofloxacin and azithromycin. However, for most patients, multi-drug resistant strains of Salmonella have ensured treatment failures. Doctors have no alternative but to use more potent last-resort antibiotics which often have worse side effects. - Pneumonia
Yet another infection where antibiotic resistance plays its havoc is the infection of pneumonia, which may be caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae. With increases in the resistance of patients toward the commonly prescribed antibiotics, that includes penicillin and macrolides, it has increasingly become a challenge for doctors to treat patients with pneumonia. This would mean more days in the hospital and more potential risks of complications due to delayed treatment. - Urinary Infections
UTIs, which are primarily attributed to Escherichia coli, also have increased antibiotic resistance to first-line drugs like ampicillin and trimethoprim. In this case, the patients might have to be treated with expensive or even intravenous antibiotics, thereby increasing the time to recover and, subsequently, the healthcare budget’s costs.
ICMR’s Alarming Findings
Data sets prepared by ICMR show that in India, there is a rising resistiveness of antibiotics in universally used drugs. “Resistances are crossing 50 per cent in a few clusters; hence the half of the cases in some of the areas have already lost their response to routine treatment,” it says. This has become a huge necessity for new techniques in treatment and stringent antibiotic stewardship.
Besides, the ICMR has also noted that resistance patterns differ according to the region in India. For example, antibiotics which have lost their use in a given region still have an impact elsewhere. This makes treating infections even more difficult.
Causes of Increasing Antibiotic Resistance
There are many causes at the global and Indian levels that have contributed to this rising problem of antibiotic resistance. It is important to understand these causes first in order to tackle this disease effectively.
- Overuse of Antibiotics
Overprescription of antibiotics is one of the causes. Often, they are prescribed for viral infections where they are of no benefit. The unnecessary exposure of the bacteria to the drugs leads to resistance over time. - Inadequate Prescription
Inappropriate prescription of antibiotics, which is either a wrong type or wrong dose, contributes to resistance. Incomplete prescriptions kill some bacteria but not all, so those that remain can survive and become resistant. - Self-Medication
Many Indians purchase antibiotics without prescriptions and then misuse them. Self-medication leads to under-treatment and accelerates the development of resistant bacteria. - Antibiotics in Agriculture
Mass application of antibiotics in animal husbandry exacerbates the situation. While antibiotics are applied to enhance the growth of animals, such bacteria are more likely to be transmitted to humans by way of food.
Impacts of Antibiotic Resistance
The effects of antibiotic resistance range extensively and are hazardous. Since it is normal that increasing numbers of bacteria will be resistant, infections that were once superficially treated become potentially deadly. With the increase in resistance also affecting the pressure on health care systems, treatments demanding costlier and much more potent drugs must be used in order to counter infections.
Furthermore, success in surgery or other medical interventions like chemotherapy is negatively portrayed. The infections developed during such interventions will obviously produce devastating complications consequently increasing the morbidity and mortality rates.
What to Do About Antibiotic Resistance?
The ICMR and other health bodies worldwide have advocated for a multi-level approach in trying to curb antibiotic resistance. It is definitely not a disease that can be cured by only the healthcare practitioners. It is not something that can be solved by policymakers alone, or by the public individually either; everybody has to share in this effort.
- Irational Use of Antibiotics A doctor is strictly supposed to prescribe antibiotics as per a certain limit or guideline. Antibiotics should be prescribed only when absolutely necessary. So, antibiotics should be prescribed for the right quantity and duration. This will prevent the bacteria that are left behind from surviving, hence stop them from developing resistance in the future.
- Public Awareness Campaigns
Educating the public on the potential dangers of abuse of antibiotics is one such method to deal with the issue. People ought to know that their use can only come under professional guidance and be given only by a doctor-never on prescription and personally without a doctor’s guidance.
Such public health campaigns and interventions would lead to the reduction of self-medication and misuse.
The governments and health agencies must develop surveillance systems that will monitor the antibiotic resistance pattern. This allows health professionals to make appropriate decisions on the antibiotics they use, thus containing the spread of resistant bacteria. - Promotion of Research and Development
New antibiotics are meant to be developed with sufficient investment into research and development on them. Pharmaceutical companies and government institutions must interact each other with the aim of developing drugs that can be used against resistant bacteria. - Improving Infection Control in Healthcare Settings
Hospitals and clinics should take tight infection control measures to stop resistant bacteria from spreading. This will include maintaining hygiene standards, wearing protective equipment, and keeping patients who have infections caused by resistant strains isolated.
Conclusion: A Call to Act Now
Antibiotic resistance stands out as one of the biggest challenges facing modern medicine. A wake-up call by the ICMR to health care providers, policymakers, and the people for immediate action will go a long way in better helping the message reach society. And with improvements in antibiotic stewardship, public awareness efforts, and a research investment, we can slow the rise of antibiotic resistance and preserve the effectiveness of these life-saving drugs for future generations. Now’s the time to act before we altogether lose the battle against resistant infections.
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