CALL TO ACTION: Antibiotics is losing the fight against superbugs

This is according to Delyne Subrayene, a clinical pharmacist at the Netcare Sunward Park Hospital.

Speaking at a EBI network business meeting on Tuesday morning, November 10, she said the overuse and misuse of antibiotics over the last couple of decades has led to the reality that many bacterial infections will become resistant to treatment.

This, in turn, will have an impact on the global population and economy.

For nearly a century, bacteria-fighting drugs known as antibiotics (the first being penicillin) have helped to control and destroy many of the harmful bacteria that can make us sick.

But, in recent decades, antibiotics have been losing their impact on some types of bacteria, called superbugs.

Superbugs, which are popping up more regularly, are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics.

Subrayene pointed out that the international community has reached this critical medical juncture because certain bacteria have found ways to fight back, as a result of ”learning” from being exposed constantly to antibiotics.

The irresponsible use of antibiotics is, for example, seen when treating viruses, such as those that cause colds, since antibiotics can combat only bacterial infections effectively.

According to Subrayene, what is frightening is that no new strain of antibiotic has been introduced for many years, meaning doctors are left to fight bacterial infections with antibiotics that are proving less effective.

“We are facing this grim reality that the medical world will soon have no more weapons left against bacterial infections that we are treating right now with antibiotics,” she explained.

“Once antibiotics fail, doctors will have no choice but to introduce more toxic drugs, that were once used, but then phased out.

“And the result of antibiotics no longer working? It is simple. More people will die because we will be unable to treat patients.”

As antibiotics prove less effective in fighting infections, there will be major ramifications.

This includes transplant surgery becoming virtually impossible, while it will become increasingly difficult to treat those with diabetes, HIV, cancer and arthritis.

“Also consider, operations that we deem to be rather less complicated, such as removing a burst appendix, will suddenly again become a dangerous operation due to the risk of infection.

“Pneumonia will also become the old man’s friend once again, and TB will become incurable.”

Considering the scale of the impact of antibiotics failing, Subrayene said each year drug-resistant bacteria infect more than two million people in America and kill at least 23 000, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This number will, therefore, become much higher as the superbugs keep on evolving and mutating.

Subrayene said generally people are exposed to antibiotics on a far greater scale than they imagine, considering for example antibiotics are given to livestock to prevent disease and promote growth.

“From the year 2000 to 2010 there has been a shocking 36 per cent increase in global antibiotic consumption,” she added.

”The nations known as Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are the countries which contribute the most to the spike in antibiotic use.”

She said a world where antibiotics become less effective will also have an enormous economic impact on countries: “Costs will increase as failed treatments will mean, for example, extended periods of hospitalisation and pharmacy cost increases.”

For her, the only way to address this pending crisis is responsible stewardship when it comes to the use of antibiotics.

“The World Health Organisation has endorsed a Global Action Plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance – including antibiotic resistance, the most urgent drug resistance trend.

“The South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme is also up and running, seeking to tackle this growing crisis as it provides leadership of antibiotic stewardship in the public and private sectors in South Africa.”

Apart from these awareness campaigns, which Subrayene deems to be critical, she said everyone can help in the war against bacterial infections.

This can be done by making use of vaccinations, while proper hygiene, such as washing one’s hands, will go a long way to help prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.