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Antibiotic Resistance - A Cause for Reemergence of Infections
Girish Subramaniam1, Meenakshi Girish2
1Department of Pediatrics, Children Hospital, Midas Heights, Ramdaspeth, Nagpur, India. Girishsubramaniam25@gmail.com.
Abstract:
This article can rightly be called 'the rise of the microbial phoenix'; for, all the microbial infections whose doomsday was predicted with the discovery of antibiotics, have thumbed their noses at mankind and reemerged phoenix like. The hubris generated by Sir Alexander Fleming's discovery of Penicillin in 1928, exemplified best by the comment by William H Stewart, the US Surgeon General in 1967, "It is time to close the books on infectious diseases" has been replaced by the realisation that the threat of antibiotic resistance is, in the words of the Chief Medical Officer of England, Dame Sally Davies, "just as important and deadly as climate change and international terrorism". Antimicrobial resistance threatens to negate all the major medical advances of the last century because antimicrobial use is linked to many other fields like organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy. Antibiotic resistance genes have been there since ancient times in response to naturally occurring antibiotics. Modern medicine has only driven further evolution of antimicrobial resistance by use, misuse, overuse and abuse of antibiotics. Resistant bacteria proliferate by natural selection when their drug sensitive comrades are removed by antibiotics. In this article the authors discuss the various causes of antimicrobial resistance and dwell in some detail on antibiotic resistance in gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Finally they stress on the important role clinicians have in limiting the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Insights
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat, reemerging like a 'microbial phoenix' despite antibiotic discoveries. Clinicians play a vital role in limiting the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The discovery of antibiotics initially led to overconfidence in eradicating infectious diseases.
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now recognized as a major global health threat, comparable to climate change and terrorism.
- AMR threatens to undermine critical medical advancements, including organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the multifaceted causes of antimicrobial resistance.
- To detail antibiotic resistance in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
- To emphasize the crucial role of clinicians in combating AMR.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical context and scientific literature on antimicrobial resistance.
- Analysis of the evolutionary drivers of antibiotic resistance.
- Discussion of clinical implications and strategies for resistance mitigation.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic resistance genes have ancient origins but have been accelerated by modern medicine's use, misuse, overuse, and abuse of antibiotics.
- Resistant bacteria thrive through natural selection when susceptible bacteria are eliminated by antibiotics.
- Specific attention is given to resistance patterns in gram-positive and gram-negative organisms.
Conclusions:
- The reemergence of resistant microbes necessitates a reevaluation of our approach to infectious diseases.
- Clinicians are essential in implementing strategies to limit the development and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.
- A concerted effort is required to address the escalating challenge of antibiotic resistance.
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