In a world free of antibiotics, more adverse outcomes should be expected when it comes to medical procedures such as transplants and surgeries, among others. In an interview with David Weiss, Ph. D., the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center director highlighted the dangerous effects brought on by antibiotic resistance and the absence of these powerful medicines.
“A world without effective antibiotics would be terrible, an 80-year trip backward in time,” he said to Healthline.
According to Weiss, majority of the crucial achievements in modern healthcare settings will no longer if antibiotics were wiped out. For instance, it would be impossible to carry out transplants while cancer treatments will come with great risks. Many premature babies will have a low chance of survival whereas wounds and cuts that are seemingly safe could be harmful.
Although Weiss pointed out that it is unlikely for the world to do away with antibiotics, there have already been instances of antibiotic resistance. For a Reno native who died in 2016 from an irrepressible infection, the woman was resistant to each of the 26 antibiotics that were available in the U.S.
After spending some time in India, she broke her right thigh bone and contracted a rare bone infection. According to Nevada doctors, the infection was caused by the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), a class of bacteria naturally resistant to antibiotics, even to carbapenems that are deemed as the last option when all other medicines have been ineffective. Such CREs are now considered as “nightmare bacteria” because of their ability to resist to other bacteria.
According to Weiss, antibiotic resistance can be addressed in simple yet effective ways. Although the production of new antibiotics, their seldom use and reduction of their use in agriculture can be helpful, these measures call for significant investments on a global level. Still, the general public can play a role in combatting antibiotic resistance, even in simply washing hands before entering a room in hospitals.
“Urge your lawmakers to support increased funding for research and regulations that limit the overuse of antibiotics. Purchase antibiotic-free products [soap, meats, etc.] to incentivize producers to stop using unnecessary antibiotics..." he said.
More importantly, Weiss reminds healthcare providers and the public to practice vigilance and avoidcomplacency.
