How to Prevent Antibiotics Resistance

How to Prevent Antibiotics Resistance

Cause and Prevention of Antibiotics Resistance

Introduction

The current world has become dynamic not only on the business sector but also in the health sector. In the recent, past there are increased cases of new infections that are either viral or bacterial and new drugs have been developed to supress viral infections and antibiotics to cure bacterial related illness. However, despite the increased inventions in the pharmaceutical industry some antibiotics have become ineffective and they no longer cure the expected illness due to resistance (Ventola, 2015).. Antibiotics are antimicrobial substances that act against bacteria and are widely used to treat and prevent bacterial infections. Antibiotics inhibit the growth and multiplication of bacterial in the body or completely kill them thus curing the infection. Antibiotic resistance occurs when germs like fungi and bacteria develops ability to act against drugs that are meant to kill or inhibit their multiplication (Fischbach & Walsh, 2009). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), infection caused by antibiotics resistant germs are difficult and sometimes impossible to treat and they require extended stay in the hospital, doctor follow ups and increases the cost of medication. Annually at least 2.8 million people suffer from antibiotic resistant bacteria out of which35,000 die as a result of this infection (CDC,2020). Therefore, it is important to do anything possible to ensure that bacteria and other germs do not become resistant to reduce the cost of medication and other health impacts. The purpose of this task is to explore how to antibiotics resistance can be prevented. The paper is organized into two major sections namely the causes and prevention of antibiotics resistance.

Causes of Antibiotics Resistance

There is a common misconception about antibiotics resistance especially to those people who are not in the medical field. They tend to equate antibiotics resistance to the body becoming resistant to antibiotics, but the actual proposition is the bacteria that becomes resistant to drugs (CDC, 2020). The causes of antibiotics resistance include but not limited to the following.

Unregulation and Overuse Antibiotics

In many countries, antibiotics are unregulated and are sold over the counter without the required doctor’s prescription. As a result, antibiotics becomes easily accessible to many patients and this promote their overuse (Michael, Dominey-Howes & Labbate, 2014). In some countries the sale of antibiotics is controlled however, with the technological advancement people are able to buy these products online increasing their usage. The unregulation of antibiotics in many countries has contributed their overuse thus result to bacteria become resistant to the common drugs.

Inappropriate Prescription by Doctors

The second cause of antibiotics resistance is inappropriate prescription by doctors and other health staffs. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013) in a case study on the use of antibiotics, choice of agent and the duration for using these drug showed that 30% to 50% of the cases were incorrectly prescribed. Incorrect prescription of antibiotics to patients exposes them to potential complications of antibiotics therapy. Increase in subtherapeutic and subinhibitory concentration in the body promote the development of antibiotics resistances which changes genetic patters of bacteria and as result new bacteria that are resistant to the existing drugs are developed. Inappropriate prescription of antibiotics to patients causes not only bacteria resistance to able death to some patients (Ventola, 2015). This also takes the form of antibiotics being prescribed for any illness that its treatment is not known.

Extensive use of Antibiotics for Agricultural Purposes

According to Spellberg and Gilbert (2014) 80% of the antibiotics sold in America are used in livestock to increase their yields and prevent infections. The antibiotics are used as growth supplements for animals both in developed and developing countries and they are said to increase the yields that are of high quality (Michael, Dominey-Howes & Labbate, 2014).  Antibiotics are also used in growing of crops inform of fertilizers and pesticides which dissolve in water.  People relies on animals and crops for food and as a result the used antibiotics are ingested in their bodies through consumption of these products. This promote transfer of resistant bacteria from animals to human beings (Bartlett, Gilbert & Spellberg, 2013). According to Bartlett, Gilbert and Spellberg (2013) 90% of the antibiotics given to animals are excreted through urine and stool which are used to grow crops which are ingested by human beings thus increasing the chances of increased antibiotics to people.

Few New Antibiotics in the Market

The fourth major cause of increased cases of antibiotics resistance among patients is limited options of antibiotics that are in the market (Ventola, 2015). According to Piddock (2012) there are very few antibiotics compared to other drugs and this is attributed to mergers between pharmaceutical companies which has reduced research and development initiatives in different companies thus reducing the available options for antibiotics. Further, according to Bartlett, Gilbert and Spellberg (2013) development of antibiotics is no longer considered as an economically viable investment in the pharmaceutical industry. The reason behind this argument is that antibiotics are used for a short period of time and they are curative in nature implying that they are not profitable in the long-run and thus many companies are opting to produce other drugs at their expense. According to Bartlett, Gilbert and Spellberg (2013) many pharmaceutical companies are preferring to make drugs for treating chronic illness such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, psychiatric disorders among other as they are bought repetitively and thus, they are more profitable compared to antibiotics. Pharmaceutical companies have been criticised over this argument since they should be in the forefront to save lives rather than be concerned on just making profits.

Genetical Mutation of Bacteria

The fifth major cause of antibiotics resistance is genetical mutation in becteria. As soon as scientist come up with a new antibiotic, there are chances that it will become ineffective at some points not because the wrong drug was made but the bacteria tend to be stronger than the drug (Ventola, 2015).. This occurs because of changes occurring within the bacteria due to genetical mutation. For instance, Tuberculosis (TB) as one of the killer diseases in the world before the antibiotic treatment was introduced. The drug became effective for sometimes and after few years of usage it started becoming infective and the reason was that germs had mutated become resistant to the drug (Malik et al., 2012).  Mutation can occur as a result of genes transfer where microbes pick up genes from other microbes making them to become stronger and resistant to the existing drugs. Mutation could also occur as a result of phenotypic change, where the microbes change their characteristics to be become resistant to the common antimicrobial agents (Malik et al., 2012).

Poor Personal Hygiene and Sharing of Antibiotics

Unhygiene environment gives a conducive environment for bacterial breeding and multiplication (McKenna, 2013).  Therefore, poor personal hygiene causes bacteria to multiply and through mutation antibiotic resistant bacteria are developed in this condition. Antibiotic resistance is also caused by poor medication practices such as sharing of drugs among people in a family as well as taking leftover drugs (WHO, 2018). This implies that the people sharing drugs do not finish the prescribed dosage and as a result they become resistant to antibiotics. The pathogenic bacteria adapt to the existence of low prescription of antibiotics resulting to bacteria that is completely defiant to the antibiotics with disregard to the amount of dosage (McKenna, 2013). Antibiotic resistance is also caused by counterfeits drugs in the market that do not have the ability to kill or inhibit the growth and multiplication of bacteria and thus they tend to become more resistant.

How to Prevent Antibiotics Resistance

The best way to prevent and control the spread of a disease is first of all to understanding the root cause and then look for measures to supress its origin (Bassetti et al., 2015). The same case can be applied in this context, by first of all understanding the causes of antibiotics resistance and then establishing the measures to prevent it from occurring. The causes have been identified in the above section and therefore this section will focus on how antibiotic resistant can be prevented. The above causes show that antibiotics resistance is cause by multiple factors and therefore its prevention requires a multidimensional approach. This section will analyse how antibiotics resistance can be prevented at individual level, policy making level, health professional, agricultural sector and prevention at the industry level.

Prevention at Individual Levels

Individuals have the responsibility to reduce antibiotic resistance in their bodies and they can do the following to prevent resistance from developing. The first, cause of antibiotics that was identified in the previous section was the over use of these drugs due to their availability (Bassetti et al., 2018). Individuals can prevent antibiotics resistance from developing in their bodies by only using these drugs when prescribed by a certified health practioners. The second way of preventing the resistance from occurring at personal level is following doctor`s prescription on how to use the antibiotics as some patients tend to use the drugs how they want rather than what has been prescribed to them (WHO, 2018). Thirdly, the resistance also occurs as a result of patients sharing leftover antibiotics with their family members. In this case the resistance can be prevented by ensuring that people do not take left over antibiotics in their houses. Fourthly, it was established that excessive of use of antibiotics in agriculture is causing antibiotic resistance in human beings, through animal consumptions and their products, as well as crops grown using antibiotics. This can be prevented by preparing foods hygienically, that is, ensuring food is cooked thoroughly, using clean water to cook and storing food in clean places at the right temperatures (WHO, 2018). This will help to kill bacteria in food and thus reducing their chances of being ingested into human body and becoming resistant to the existing antibiotics. Lastly, poor hygiene at individual level was also established as cause of antibiotic resistance and therefore this can be prevented by observing hygiene. This can be done inform of regularly washing hands, practising safer sex, avoiding close contact with sick people and ensuring that latrines are clean and disinfected (WHO, 2018).

Prevention at Policy Making Level

Policy makers can also help in reducing the cases antibiotics resistance by doing the following. First, the policy makers can institute measures that will regulate the over use of antibiotics by regulating their use by prohibiting them from being over the counter drug. This will reduce their availability and make them expensive reducing the rate at which they are used. Secondly, it was established that are very few new antibiotics in the market since many pharmaceutical companies have merged while other find them being not profitable and as a result moving away from their production (Rather, et al., 2017). The government can intervene and safe the situation by giving subsidies pharmaceutical companies to encourage them to produce these drugs as well as providing funds for research and development of new antibiotics. This will encourage many pharmaceutical companies’ firms to venture in this area, and as a result new antibiotic that may be able to fight the resistant bacteria will produced preventing further development. Thirdly, the policy makers can prevent development of resistant bacteria by promoting appropriate use of antibiotics and other medicine and also ensuring that the medicine in the market are of the right quality (Rather, et al., 2017).. The government can do this by launching campaigns that are aimed sensitizing people on causes of antibiotic resistance and its impact on their health and how it can be avoided.  The government can also institute measure to ensure that only genuine antibiotics are in the market to reduces cases of counterfeits products that may not cure the bacterial infections (WHO,2018). Lastly, as a measure to prevent further spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria the policy makers can institute policies and programs that are aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of resistance. The government can do this by having civic education by the health workers and also through spread of information. This can be done by running sensitisation advertisements in televisions, using of local radio stations as well as using the social media to pass this information among different in the country and this will help to create awareness and reduce these cases.

Prevention by HealthCare Professionals

Health workers and especially doctors were identified as part of the causative agents for antibiotic resistance by giving inappropriate prescription for antibiotics to patients and therefore they have a role to play in this case in the following ways. First, health professionals should only prescribe antibiotics they are needed and they ensure that they follow the current guidelines. Secondly, the medical team in different parts of the country should report anti-biotics resistant infections to the surveillance teams to further investigation to be carried out on how the existing antibiotics can be improved to cure the infections (WHO, 2018). Thirdly, the health practioners have can prevent antibiotics resistant by talking to their patients on the need to take antibiotics correctly, to avoid cases of the infections becoming resistant and the impact it can have on their health. Further, the doctors can take an approach of preventive measures as a way of preventing antibiotics resistant cases. This can take the form of sensitizing the patients of measures that they should undertake to reduce bacterial infections which are treated using antibiotics and in case they are misused or used for a long period of time the infection may be become drug resistant (Lushniak, 2014). Lastly, the health professionals can also prevent cases of antibiotics resistance by ensuring that they uphold the code of professional conduct and also working from a clean environment. This reduces of bacterial infection and in case they occur they are treated easily.

Prevention by the Agriculture Sector

Spellberg and Gilbert (2014) argues that 80% of the antibiotics sold in America are used for livestock. According to Bartlett, Gilbert and Spellberg (2013) 90% of the antibiotics given to animals are excreted through urine and stool which are used to grow crops inform of manure and fertilizers. This shows the role that the agriculture sector plays in spread of antibiotic resistant infection from animals and crops to human being and therefore it should be on the forefront to prevent the increase of such cases and the following should be done. First, farmers should only give antibiotics to their animals only when they are prescribed by certified veterinary officers (Ventola, 2015).. Secondly, the agriculture regulatory authority should restrict the use of antibiotics to increase animal and plant yields, instead they should be used to cure or prevent illness in animals and the right dosage should also be given (WHO,2018). Lastly, farmers should be vaccinating their animals to reduce cases of bacterial infections which are cured using antibiotics and where possible alternatives of antibiotics should be used.

Prevention in the HealthCare Sector

The healthcare sector as a whole, has a role to play to reduces of antibiotic resistance. The industry should invest in research and development to promote development of new antibiotics that can fight resistant infections (Lushniak, 2014). Secondly, the sector can prevent antibiotic resistant cases by regularly training the healthworkers on how they should prescribe antibiotics to patients. Lastly, the regulatory authority in this sector should also consider organizing seminar, conferences and workshops in which different health workers can exchange ideas on the existing antibiotic resistant  infections and they give suggesstions  how they can be treated or measures that can be put in place to reduce the cases of resistant infection in the long-run.

Conclusion

The purpose of this task was to explore how to antibiotics resistance can be prevented. The paper identified overuse and unregulations of antibiotics, inappropriate prescription and excessive use these in the agricultural sector as some of the causes of antibiotics resistance. It was also established that the resistance is caused by genetic mutation in bacteria, poor hygiene and lack of new antibiotics to cure new infections.  It was established that, to prevent antibiotics resistance a multidimension approach involving all  stakeholders who are part of causative agents was required. The first prevention that was identified was at personal level where it was recommended that people should be used antibiotics for the prescribed reasons and reduce over usage. At policy level it was identified that policy makers should institute measures to reduce the availability of antibiotics to reduce their usage and also sensitize the public on the impact of antibiotics resistant to their health. Healthcare professionals were also expected to exercise professional due care and diligence in their work and this would reduce the antibiotic resistant cases. The other preventive measure was to reduce the usage of antibiotics in farming and if possible, alternatives were recommended to be used. Lastly, the healthcare sector was supposed to invest more in research and development to invention of new antibiotics and also the sector was required to regularly train the health workers.