Every day in Europe, nearly a hundred people die from infections with bacteria that no longer respond to medication. A particularly worrying trend, according to the European health service.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warns that the number of deaths from antibiotic resistance is increasing in Europe. Every year in the European Union (EU), 35,000 people die from an infection with a bacteria that can no longer be treated with medication. That’s just under 100 a day.
For Isabel Spriet, hospital pharmacist at UZ Leuven, these figures come as no surprise. ‘Especially Gram-negative germs such as the Klebsiella pneumoniae in Acinetobacter spp are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics carbapenems, which is considered a last resort. But also in other enterobacteria and bee Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a persistent hospital bacteria, resistance is steadily increasing. In 2005, less than five percent of E. coli strains were resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics, in 2016 this had risen to eight percent. That has to do with the increasing consumption of broad-spectrum antibiotics in hospitals.’
Even more alarming is that a European study shows that half of the respondents mistakenly think that antibiotics help against viruses. In Belgium, 40 percent would not know that antibiotics are not effective against viruses. And only three out of ten Belgians would be aware that antibiotics can lose their effect if they are used without reason and that you should only stop taking them after a full course. ‘Antibiotics are crucial for serious bacterial infections, but they don’t work against viruses,’ Spriet emphasises. ‘You would think people would have learned something during the corona pandemic, wouldn’t you?’
Self-treatment
The cause of resistance is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. When a bacteria is treated too often with an antibiotic, there is a chance that the bacteria will become resistant to it. But even if antibiotics are wrongly used, a bacterium will be able to protect itself better and better. She is then no longer sensitive to the drug and common infections become increasingly difficult to treat.
Global antibiotic consumption has fallen, but that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. For example, the administration of certain types of antibiotics is increasing and in some European countries antibiotics are even available without a doctor’s prescription.
‘One of the key elements in the fight against microbial resistance is avoiding the incorrect use of antibiotics,’ says Spriet. ‘Prescription obligation is absolutely necessary to prevent patients from treating themselves. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) makes recommendations, but the effective legislation and detailed are not European competence.’
Some scientists fear that by 2050, an estimated 10 million patients worldwide could die from multidrug-resistant germs.
But there are even more factors that can ensure that we use antibiotics more sparingly. Spriet: ‘When diagnosing a suspected viral infection, GPs should explicitly state that antibiotics are not recommended. Pharmacists must enter the conversation when patients with a delayed prescription want to purchase antibiotics. The government must continue to invest in national campaigns, including on social media. And why don’t we already bring up the theme in biology lessons at school?’
Actions to return leftover medicine to the pharmacy are also useful, says Spriet. ‘In Belgium, people are considering no longer giving complete packages to the patient via pharmacies, but switching to “unit doses”. This way we avoid leftovers and the duration of the treatment is clearer for the patient. But we shouldn’t just curb its overuse and misuse in human medicine. We must also limit the administration of antibiotics in veterinary medicine, agriculture and the food industry.’
Spriet cannot emphasize enough the importance of prudent use of antibiotics, because some studies paint a very bleak picture. ‘Into a study Nature which is often quoted, calculated that by 2050 an estimated ten million patients worldwide would die from multidrug-resistant germs. Antibiotic resistance and the associated mortality have long been called the “silent pandemic”, but the scientific world is calling for that to stop. The term “silent pandemic” too negates the harsh reality of the situation. Moreover, we are mistaken about the enemy: not the bacteria, but humans are responsible for the resistance.’
Tips for prudent antibiotic use:
– Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. So don’t use them with a flu or a cold.
– Don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics if you don’t need them.
– Do not take leftover antibiotics that you still have at home, but return them to the pharmacy.
– Completely cancel a course of antibiotics, even if your symptoms have disappeared. Take the doses at the right time and do not miss a dose.
More info: www.praatoverantibiotica.be