10 reasons why antibiotic resistance is scary right now
Today, we talked a lot about antibiotic resistance, when drugs are losing their effectiveness in treating bacterial infections. Particularly, cases of resistant viruses of all drugs have been detected in China, Europe and the United States.
Yet many people still consider it a story of the future, worse than being indifferent, standing outside the effort of action. You can say: "I still take antibiotics and get rid of sore throats", but I don't know that it was the antibiotic that caused the intestinal bacteria to carry resistance genes.
So, don't stand outside the war. The following 10 reasons will tell you how scary antibiotic resistance is and it's time to act:
1. No antibiotics or medical will return to the 1930s
Without antibiotics, a normal infection can also cause you to lose your life.
If antibiotics become ineffective, it means that we will return to the 1930s. At that time, even a very normal infection can be fatal. Do you want to worry about the hand cut is life threatening? And pneumonia is back to being a serial killer. Look at the picture above and you'll know you're responsible for the fight.
2. We may not be able to develop new drugs
We will have to wait a long time to get new antibiotics.
It's been more than 30 years since our last class of antibiotics was developed. Expensive expenses are making no pharmaceutical company want to invest in this area. On average, it takes $ 2.5 billion to bring a new antibiotic to market.
Meanwhile, every single antibiotic prescription costs only about 20-200 USD. Pharmaceutical companies are looking to make a lot of profit from the market for cancer and chronic diseases. There is a prescription worth up to $ 20,000 each, or people with diabetes will have to use drugs for life.
Although governments are struggling with investments and support, we will have to wait a long time to get new antibiotics, or maybe even never.
3. The operating room will be built at "the edge of hell"
Without antibiotics, all complicated surgeries will be extremely difficult.
Nature surgery is a medical procedure that helps save patients' lives. But complex surgical operations involve a high risk of infection, such as heart surgery or joint replacement, for example.
Therefore, without antibiotics, every complicated surgery is almost done on "the edge of hell". A patient who has a joint surgery to get more comfort in movement, has to put on the other side of the weight table is his whole life.
4. We are in alarm condition
The nightmare of antibiotic resistance actually began.
Today, we talk a lot about antibiotic resistance, about the prospects it poses and a scary future. Did you know, the nightmare really started? Every year, antibiotic resistance is no longer the prospect of 25,000 people dying in Europe and 23,000 others in the US because of drug-resistant infections. For them, and a probability on yourself, it is the end of life, not the story of the distant future.
5. Chemotherapy requires antibiotics, cancer patients will die
Inactive antibiotics mean that cancer patients are increasingly in danger.
Although we use relatively well chemotherapy to fight cancer, it will cause the patient's white blood cells to be destroyed. Without white blood cells, the immune system loses its weapons to fight infection. Meanwhile, ineffective antibiotics mean cancer patients are increasingly in a dangerous situation.
6. Hands-on doctor with magic tool of medicine: transplant
We always need antibiotics to help patients survive the transplant.
Organ transplantation is a miracle of modern medicine. However, we always need antibiotics to help patients survive the transplant. Antibiotics play 2 roles. First, transplant surgery itself can lead to infection. Second, patients will use anti-rejection drugs to weaken the immune system. Then they need antibiotics to treat common infections.
If we lose the magic ability of antibiotics, transplantation is almost impossible to do. The risks are too great.
7. Antibiotic resistance is your own problem
Antibiotic resistance is a global problem.
We often talk about viruses and drug resistance are "global problems". Therefore, many people are mistakenly thinking that it is a problem that only agencies, organizations or politicians must care about.
Don't misunderstand, antibiotic resistance directly affects you. Remember, you've had to use two antibiotics in a prescription or treat up to two episodes? Using antibiotics when not needed, for example in colds, will cause your intestinal bacteria to carry resistance genes. When they have favorable conditions to develop the disease, you will know what the consequences are.
8. Sometimes we need antibiotics right away
If the antibiotic is ineffective, people with blood infections will have less chance of surviving.
Have you ever heard of a blood infection? It is a life-threatening situation of many people. Every year in the UK more than 100,000 people are hospitalized with a blood infection. Even with antibiotics, 37,000 people died.
Blood infections can only be treated with antibiotics and for a certain "countdown" period. Perhaps it will not be about what can happen to patients with septicemia, if the antibiotic completely loses its effect.
9. Genital tract disease, are you worried?
Today, bacteria causing gonorrhea are very resistant to antibiotics.
No one wants to wake up with a genital discharge, especially when antibiotics gradually lose their effect. Today, bacteria causing gonorrhea are very resistant to antibiotics. Some people call them "sexually transmitted viruses" that can cause vaginal or penis discharge and pain when urinating.
Without treatment, this condition can lead to many dangerous complications. But just imagine that one day we have no antibiotics, doctors know what to do, this disease is caused by bacteria.
10. We will lose 100 trillion dollars
Can't have a bright future if antibiotic resistance continues to happen.
We are losing a lot of money because of the consequences of resistant bacteria. In 2009, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said that the European Union spent about $ 1.7 billion a year on health care and disability costs for patients with antibiotic resistance.
If we don't act now, we could throw all 100 days of dollars into the window by 2050. That's what little viruses can do to mankind.
Finally, it is clear that there cannot be a bright future if antibiotic resistance continues to occur. While organizations and governments are working hard to prevent that, each of us also needs to be aware of our responsibilities. Be equipped with knowledge and do not stand outside the common war of humanity with antibiotic resistance.
- The CDC report states: The United States has entered a post-antibiotic period
- The scary truth about antibiotic-resistant bacteria
- Bio-nano robot will help end the antibiotic resistance crisis
- WHO put recommendations on what to do to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria
- How did bacteria learn to fight antibiotics?
- 10 million deaths are one of the startling numbers about 'Antibiotic resistance'.
- £ 10 million for anyone to find a solution against antibiotic resistance
- Antibiotic resistance can be passed from mother to child
- Learn about the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance
- The principle you must remember in an age of nightmares 'antibiotic resistance'
- Solving the phenomenon of drug resistance by giving bacteria 'fighting' together
- Vietnam appears to be resistant to all antibiotics