Over And Misuse Of Antibiotics Resulting In Drug Resistance: Experts

Antibiotic resistance is one of the fastest growing threat globally leading to once "easy-to- treat" infections' management challenging, said Dr. Tahreem Ansari, Consultant on Disease Control at Indus Hospital.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2018 ) :Antibiotic resistance is one of the fastest growing threat globally leading to once "easy-to- treat" infections' management challenging, said Dr. Tahreem Ansari, Consultant on Disease Control at Indus Hospital.

Addressing a symposium for general physicians, she said failure of antibiotics to work has economical, physical and psychological impacts.

"Illnesses are longer lasting requiring frequent doctor visits, extended hospital stays and treatment with expensive antibiotics. In some cases," said the senior doctor.

Dr. Tahreem warned that antibiotic-resistant infections can also lead to organ failure and even death.

Referring to latest WHO studies, she said 700,000 deaths every year could be attributed to antimicrobial or antibiotic resistance worldwide and is expected to cause 10 million deaths in the next 35 years.

"Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to defeat the drugs designed to kill them making them superbugs and inability of antibiotics to kill these bugs may result in difficulty to treat infections.

" emphasized the consultant.

Professor Dr. Khalid Hussain Mahida, Department of ENT & Head & Neck Surgery at Ziauddin University and Hospital in his presentation mentioned that antibiotics are not effective against viral infections like the common cold, flu, most sore throats, bronchitis, and many sinus and ear infections.

Widespread use of antibiotics for these illnesses, he said, was an example of how overuse of antibiotics can promote the spread of antibiotic resistance.

"Smart use of antibiotics is key to controlling the spread of resistance," he said.

Dr. Mahida mentioned that 88.9% rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are for self-limiting Upper Respiratory Tract infections in Pakistan.

He stressed that people should only use antibiotics when prescribed by a certified health professional and always take the full prescription, even if you feel better because not completing the prescribed dosage will help bacteria to become antibiotic resistant.