Antibiotic Resistance : Where We Are

Antibiotics, composed of microorganisms such as streptomycin and penicillin, kill other infectious microorganisms in the human body. At one point, antibiotics were considered to have “basically wiped out infection in the United States”, but due to their overuse and evolutionary

The misuse of penicillin and other antibiotics however is causing the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in which seemingly harmless infections turn to be deadly and dangerous. Antibiotics are not only casually used as treatments for bacterial infections, but are also used in agriculture and veterinary medicine, creating controversy on the proper uses of antibiotics. As advancements in the medical fields proved to be beneficial for a short period of time, today the misuse of these innovations are creating more and more problems that have proven to be dangerous to the accustomed health of the global population. Antibiotics were not always considered to be a superficial medication and, in fact, have been naturally used for millions of years, like with ants and their symbiosis with antibiotic producing fungi. Humans do not fully realize the value that antibiotics have brought to the population and do not take measures to preserve their use. In contrast, humans take for advantage the natural benefits that is given to them to overly benefit themselves, such as while creating revenue through mass production despite warning from scientists. This selfish misuse leads to consequences in which the future will have to provide solutions for, and perhaps even follow in the ants’ footsteps.

Widespread use of antibiotics has been very controversial in the media as well in the general population. Due to these controversies, it is very misunderstood to how antibiotics work leading to many patients in the hospital setting wanting to take them when it is not necessary or refusing to take when it is necessary for their survival. Some of this controversy is due to antibiotic resistance, which has spread an alarming rate in the 21st century (Walsh, 2000). Antibiotic resistance is the result of very strong bacteria or microbes that are resistant to the antibiotic prescribed and those microbes accumulate overtime by their survival, reproduction and transfer, leading to increased levels of antibiotic resistance.

The use of the healthcare system as a whole is largely determined by the cost incurred by the patient, as well as insurance companies within the healthcare system. As for combating the growth of antibiotic resistance, it might be beneficial to increase the cost of antibiotics so that they are used only when clinically appropriate. This, however, would lead to a decrease in access to patients who might actually need these forms of treatment and who are unable to afford them. Additionally, increasing the cost of treatment options may cause there to be a delay or abandonment of therapy. While neither of these options may be ideal to patients, and even the healthcare system as a whole, the consideration of their use may aid in lowering the prevalence of antibiotic resistance.

Also known as superbugs, these bugs are resistant to our modern day antibiotics. People around the world are trying to figure out alternatives to this plague. These bugs have evolved over years and years becoming stronger and passing down genes from generation to generation, To slowly become the super bugs that they are known as today. Often these resistant genes are caused by overuse of antibiotics by humans and farm animals, but this is not always true. Recently the ARS (the American Recorder Society) found antibiotic resistance in prairie soils that had no human contact. Antibiotic resistance is commonly viewed as a result of antibiotic overuse in humans and animals, Recently found antibiotic-resistant

This “antibiotic boom” was, to put it lightly, one of the most significant advancements in human history. But there is a slight problem. Unlike virtually all other technological innovations, antibiotics become less effective the more they are used. They are unique in this regard.

Flues, colds, and diseases flow in and out through all seasons of the year. The illnesses caused many patients to go to the doctors and to get help. In return, the patients will likely get antibiotics prescribed by the doctors. Antibiotics are drugs or a type of medicine that will prevent or inhibit bacteria which is causing the infection. Many people think that antibiotics can completely cure their infection by taking them, but many people do not realize the importance of antibiotic resistance and the evolution of bacteria.

The misuse of antibiotics has the potential to set society back in time to the dark ages. It is time to end the careless use of these valuable antimicrobial that so many take for granted. Antibiotic resistance continues to expand and evolve and solutions to this epidemic need to implemented. By establishing stewardships, educational programs, and restrictions it teaches the severity of this issue and action that must be taken in order to decrease resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a multifactorial issue. Introducing preventative measures in hospitals will be most effective in reducing resistance, as well as eliminating the trend of misusing antibiotics.

Before antibiotics were discovered, bacterial infections like strep throat and meningitis were untreatable and often deadly. Things that seem easily treatable to us now, like an ear infection, could mean a death sentence to those with weak immune systems, such as the very young or the elderly. Antibiotics were first discovered in the form of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, but its true power wasn’t recognized until the 1940s after more medical testing was conducted. Once the commercialization of antibiotics began, it was declared a ‘miracle drug’ and its use skyrocketed to the number of prescriptions we see today, about 150 million a year (“History of Antibiotics”). Antibiotics have saved millions of lives, and without a doubt have improved the quality of life of many people around the world, but unfortunately, not everyone uses them correctly. Overuse of prescription antibiotics is becoming increasingly common, with some people hoarding leftover pills and needlessly taking

Antibiotics has played a huge role in the field of medicine since it was first discovered in 1928. Antibiotics are antimicrobial drug that kills or inhibits growth of diseases which prevents many illnesses. However, in the past decade, Antibiotic resistant bacteria has become the world’s latest pandemic. Many strains of bacteria have adapted and developed resistance against antibiotics. According to the CDC, “at least two million people are infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections.” (CDC) This is a problem because antibiotics are the number one defense tactics against bacterial infections. Without this line of defense, people vulnerable to bacteria growth which can cause problems in health.

Antibiotic development is one of the modern marvels of medicine. This is the first external tool that people have to fight against bacterial infections. The first drug developed was Penicillin. This medication is so effective that it is still used today. From its structure, every other antibacterial drug was developed. Today, there are hundreds of options available for treating infections. Unfortunately, this has had significant ramifications on the development of resistance to these medications. As the infections continue to learn and evolve, it is important that people educate themselves on what this means and the impacts it has.

Throughout the centuries the improvement of medicine has always been on the run. Whether the cure for a viral or bacterial infection to the simple cure of a common cold, advances in medicine can be said to have had a great impact in the lives of many in the U.S. and around the world. In the U.S. alone, the life expectancy of an American increased from 49 years to 77 years because of the new way of life in the health aspect. There is no doubt that antibiotics specifically, not to say the prevention of diseases by public health regulations including over-the-counter drugs and surgical procedures, have saved thousands or even millions of lives in the U.S and around the world. However, there are many cases in which antibiotics are being overused, which in effect cause more harm than good.

The overuse of antibiotics has been a problem for well over a decade. This misuse leads to many nonvisible problems arising within the human population. As the use of antibiotics increases, the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria also increases. When bacteria become resistant to an antibiotic, another antibiotic must be used to try and kill it and the cycle becomes vicious. Michael Martin, Sapna Thottathil, and Thomas Newman stated that antimicrobial resistance is, “an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society” (2409).

Resistance is a term used quite regularly today; there's resistance in arrests, resistance to do some good, and resistance to not let go. Resistance is fighting back and overcoming a barrier. However, the word is rarely used by the average person to talk about something that we cannot see, to maybe explain that nasty cough that won't go away, the infection that just keeps coming back, or the reason about 26,000 people die a year in the EU alone (ECDC & EMEA, 2009). This is antibiotic resistance - the battle going on within bodies to stop antibiotics working. This resistance is at the doorstep of every home because of those two days missed off a prescribed antibiotic course as the patient is ‘feeling so much better’, or the extra

"Antibiotics continue to be powerful weapons to fight infection, but inappropriate use makes the treatment of microbial infections increasingly challenging. Successful antibiotic stewardship can help mitigate the development of antimicrobial resistance and lead to better outcomes (MLO, 2016)." The first antibiotic introduced and produced in the United States was penicillin in the 1940's. From 1940 to 1960 more than 20 new classes of antibiotics were introduced, and resistant strains developed within five years of each new class. Although the research for new antibiotics has stalled, the use and distribution of antibiotics has increased (Smith, 2015).