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annamathewk7
May 143 min read

Antimicrobial Resistance: An imminent public health crisis



In 1928, Dr. Alexander Fleming returned to his lab at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, after a vacation, he found something interesting. An agar plate infected with Staphylococcus bacteria left unattended on a bench had developed mold, and he noticed that the bacteria surrounding the mold had vanished. Dr Fleming cultured the mold and observed its remarkable antibacterial properties and later named the substance as penicillin (1).


Penicillin marked the beginning of a prosperous era of antibiotics and transformed the healthcare practices. Prior to its discovery, life expectancy was limited, and a mere scratch if infected could lead to death. Following its emergence, it became a life-saving asset. In 1945, despite being one of the Nobel Prize recipients for its discovery, Dr. Fleming warned that the misuse of the drug could lead to antibiotic resistance in his Nobel Prize speech. Within two years of his speech, the first instances of resistance were reported. Currently, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to global health (2).


The World Health Organization has declared antimicrobial resistance as a major global public health concern that is estimated to lead to substantial increase in healthcare expenses, hospitalizations, and deaths, affecting millions of people by 2050. Antimicrobial resistance jeopardizes many advancements in modern medicine, rendering infections more difficult to treat and increasing the risks associated with other medical procedures and treatments, such as surgery, cesarean sections, cancer chemotherapy etc. The global health faces a crisis in both the development of new antibiotics and access to existing ones (3).


So, what is AMR actually?

Antimicrobial resistance allows microorganisms to evade or reduce the impact of antimicrobial substances and can develop through genetic mutation or the acquisition of resistance genes (4). Antimicrobial resistance does not mean our body is resistant to antibiotics or antifungals. It means the bacteria or fungi causing the infection are resistant to the antibiotic or antifungal treatment.


How antibiotic use cause antibiotic resistance?

The major cause of antibiotic resistance is antibiotic use. When we use antibiotics, some bacteria die, but resistant bacteria can survive and even multiply. The overuse of antibiotics makes resistant bacteria more common.

Antibiotic resistance develops naturally in bacteria. However, our actions can increase resistance developing and spreading. For example:

  • When healthcare professionals overprescribe antibiotics

  • When people don’t take antibiotics as directed

  • Self-medicating or antibiotic sharing

Taking antibiotics for an infection that is not caused by bacteria. (for e.g. antibiotics do not work against viruses that cause cold or flu) (5).


How to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance?

We can help reduce the development of antibiotic resistance:

  • Use antibiotics only as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s tempting to stop taking an antibiotic as soon as we feel better. But we need to complete the full course treatment to kill the disease-causing bacteria. And don’t skip doses.

  • Proper disposal of leftover medications. Never take leftover medications for a later illness. Also, never take an antibiotic prescribed for someone else. They may not be the correct antibiotic. And they likely don’t include a full treatment course. Many communities have drug take-back programs or pharmacies that accept unused medications.

  • Practice good hygiene: Proper handwashing, maintaining good personal hygiene, and food safety measures can help prevent infections. By reducing the number of infections, we reduce the need for antibiotics.

  • Get all recommended vaccines: Vaccines can prevent many infections. Check to see if you need any vaccines before travel too.

  • Avoid pressuring your healthcare provider to give you an antibiotic prescription (6).


Healthcare providers can also help by:

  • Only prescribing antibiotics that are needed.

  • Targeting the medicine as soon as possible to the specific bacteria involved.

  • Prescribing medicines for only as long as needed (7).

 

The terrifying realities of antibiotic resistance that we should know:

  • Standard antibiotics can’t kill bacteria that have become resistant. Many of these germs have spread all over the world.

  • These bacteria can cause infections. They can be very hard to treat.

  • If you have an infection that is antibiotic-resistant, your healthcare provider may or may not have other treatment options.


In conclusion, antibiotic resistance is a major threat that affects everyone’s health. It’s important that we work together to solve this problem, so that antibiotics keep working for us and for future generations. Let’s all do our part to keep ourselves and others healthy.


References

  1. https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/how-was-penicillin-developed#:~:text=1928%20to%201929,chemical%20that%20could%20kill%20bacteria.

  2. https://www.the-scientist.com/antimicrobial-resistance-the-silent-pandemic-71196

  3. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance

  4. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/posttravel-evaluation/antimicrobial-resistance

  5. https://www.amr.gov.au/about-amr/what-causes-amr#:~:text=we%20use%20antibiotics-,The%20main%20cause%20of%20antibiotic%20resistance%20is%20antibiotic%20use.,to%20become%20resistant%20to%20them.

  6. https://www.worldanimalprotection.ca/news/6-ways-help-reduce-antibiotic-resistance?ea.tracking.id=google_grant&utm_source=google_grant&utm_medium=google_grant&utm_campaign=google_grant&utm_content=&gad_source=1

  7. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/a/antibiotic-resistance.html Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board

 

 




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