The Dangers of Antibiotic Misuse

Few days back a woman shifted from one of the big hospitals in
Chennai to our hospital for further care; She was infected with
multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumonia - What we Doctors call a
"night mare superbug" that showed resistance to all antibiotics on
earth. She died finally from multi-organ failure & sepsis.

"Superbug" is the term referred to bacteria which are resistant to

most of the antibiotics or all of the antibiotics. The WHO warned in
2015 of an approaching "Post Antibiotic" era. Current estimates are
that drug resistance infection annually kills 700000 people around
the world-a figure that could reach 10 million by 2050.

It is just fact of evolution-the more antibiotics that are around, the

more bacteria has been exposed to it, the more opportunity they
have, to acquire their resistance. India is a notorious hot bed for
Antibiotic resistance. 2016 study showed that the evolution of the
superbug because of over prescribing & unregulated use of
antibiotics, antibiotics used in agriculture & lack of regulation of
availability of antibiotics sold in local pharmacies.

One thing everyone should remember is that the superbug exists

globally. It is a problem rearing its ugly head in China, South Africa,
and even in US hospitals. But what makes India the global breeding
ground for the problem is the extent & degree of the factors that
fuel the Superbug.

The culture in India is to lean on Antibiotics for most illnesses even if

there is low chance they are due to bacteria. Normal myth of public
is any fever or loose motion, you need antibiotics. Antibiotics are
taken as medicine for fever. In India, antibiotics are available in all
medical shops where people can get without any question or
prescription. Sometimes if people go to the Doctor and they don't
prescribe antibiotics, the patient goes to the shop to buy antibiotics
as they are not satisfied with the treatment without antibiotics. This
myth is not only among the poor but also among the literate rich
people.

One study from the Center for Disease dynamics, Economics &
policy in 2016 showed that there are many dying in rural areas
because of lack of access to antibiotics while others in urban
settings are using them rampantly. This is a serious issue.

So next time when you get fever or sore throat before taking
antibiotics think twice. Kindly follow your doctor's advice for
antibiotics. Please spread your knowledge to stop antibiotic abuse.
This way we can keep our nation & environment safer for future
generations.

http://www.kauveryhospital.com/newsletters/201
8/april/the-danger-of-antibiotic-misuse.html