Antibiotic drug resistance is an ever-growing problem that poses a severe threat to healthcare systems globally. A superbug is defined by Mayo clinic as “strains of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that are resistant to most of the antibiotics and other medications commonly used to treat the infections they cause.” I think of it as natural selection in a way. Over time, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi adapt to drugs that are designed to kill them and change in order to survive. Some common practices that have proven to increase the appearance of antimicrobial-resistant germs are: using or misusing antibiotics, having poor infection prevention and control practices, living or working in unclean conditions, and mishandling food. In order to tackle this problem, people should use antibiotics as directed and only when needed, complete the full treatment of course, even if you feel better, not share antibiotics with others, and not use leftover prescriptions.
In an article by Bhawna Malik and Samit Bhattacharyya published in the Scientific Reports journal talking about antibiotic drug resistance, they explain how resistant bacteria is described now as a primary threat to public health in the 21st century, and global agencies are now in a race to provide urgent action. They go on to say that antibiotic resistance has the potential to occur naturally, but one of the primary driving forces is the irrational use of antibiotics. Misuse of antibiotics accelerates the resistance process by leading to the eradication of the sensitive strain and creation of the resistant bacteria. The use of antibiotics is increasing worldwide, specifically in developing countries. Self-medication is a primary factor in this increase. Over-the-counter sales, which is a common practice in countries like Bangladesh, Addis Ababa, and Ethiopia, is one of the sources of self-medication. In a recent report regarding global antibiotic consumption, it shows an increase by 65% (previous 39%) between the years 2000 and 2015. It also showed an increase from 21.1 to 34.8 billion Daily Defined Doses, and this increase was sparked by overconsumption in lower middle income class countries. Some of the struggles driving self-medication are the avoidance of expensive treatment, poor access to medical facilities, inadequate education, and a lack of awareness. Factors for irrational antibiotic prescription by physicians include satisfying patient expectation, lack of knowledge and diagnostics, incentives and advertising from industry, and financial benefits.
So, what can we do about this? As stated before, if prescribed an antibiotic, the patient must use as directed for the allotted time in order to ensure that all of the bacteria are killed. If a person starts feeling better half way through their prescribed treatment and does not take the rest, the bacteria could reemerge from a latent stage and the individual could become infected again. People also need to become more educated on the purpose and use of antibiotics in order to understand that increasing resistance within the population is a dire problem. Physicians should only prescribe antibiotics if absolutely necessary and should explain clearly to the patient how to use them in a safe and correct way. In an infographic made by the CDC, they state that half of antibiotic use in humans and much of antibiotic use in animals is unnecessary and makes everyone less safe. Stopping these inappropriate uses would help greatly in slowing down the spread of resistant bacteria. They also state that practicing antibiotic stewardship (only using antibiotics when needed, and to choose the right antibiotics and to administer them in the right way) is a primary way to stop antibiotic resistance.
How to stop antibiotic resistance; CDC.
Emmalyn's Take on Microbio 