Antibiotic Resistance
Purpose
click to edit
The purpose of this review was to analyze what factors contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance
This review used primary, peer reviewed sources published in PUBMED
Key Contributing Factors
Conclusions/Prevention
History
Antibiotic Resistance is a growing concern in all nations
How this relates to the grant proposal
Link to review article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380099/
CSE Citation (Name, Year):
Chokshi A, Sifri Z, Cennimo D, Horng H. 2019. Global Contributors to Antibiotic Resistance. Journal of Global Infectious Diseases. 11(1):36–42. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/jgid.jgid_110_18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380099/.
In recent times, one of the leading causes of death is noncommunicable diseases
In the early 1900's, infectious disease was responsible for 1/3 of all deaths
This development is due to the discovery of antibiotics, namely, Penicillin.
While healthcare professionals seem to have a handle on communicable diseases, the rates are once again rising as a new concern, antibiotic resistance, becomes a bigger issue by the day.
What is antibiotic resistance?
MRSA is responsible for 50,000 deaths yearly in the US/Europe
Tuberculosis is a major concern
Certain infections are no longer treatable with antibiotics due to resistance
It is estimated that by the year 2050, 10 million people will have died as a result of antibiotic resistance and $100.2 trillion will be lost as a result
New mechanisms are always evolving
Measures need to be taken to prevent the spread
Antibiotic resistance is when microbes develop the ability to counteract and resist antibiotics (drugs) designed to inhibit or kill them
Ineffective quality control (major issue in developing countries)
Overuse and abuse of antibiotics (inappropriate prescriptions)
Deficient observation when resistance begins and advances (major issue in developing countries)
The prevalence of antibiotics given to cattle raised for consumption
Overall lack of research, knowledge, and understanding of the subject = lack of solutions
When substandard or expired products are distributed to sick populations, this can heavily increase the cases of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are also not being stored properly, which leads to their disintegration and ineffectiveness
Unfortunately, there is a market for counterfeit/illegitimate drugs to combat bacterial infections which also promotes antibiotic resistance
Providers will often prescribe antibiotics as a first resort, despite the fact they may not be needed. This leads to overuse and promotes antibiotic resistance.
Testing for bacterial cultures is rarely done in developing countries
No regulations and antibiotics readily being available
Patient in developed countries report sharing their antibiotic prescriptions with other individuals to save money on an additional doctors appointment/prescription
Use to promote growth of animals and maximize profits
Humans ingest these antibiotics when consuming animal meat and byproducts, contributing to antibiotic resistance
Used to prevent disease in livestock
Soil and water are also impacted by antibiotics as traces are found in animal fecal matter. This soil and water are then use to grow crops which humans will also consume.
There are no incentives for researchers to discover new antibiotics or alternatives treatments to antibiotics, as the pharmaceutical industry would rather fund research on medications used for chronic diseases that will be prescribed long term (more profit) rather than antibiotics used to treat infections that will be prescribed short term (less profit)
More research needs to be done on antibiotic resistance and alternative treatment options for bacterial infections
The World Health Organization should establish clear principles and a standard protocol when it comes to antibiotic use and distribution
Fighting antibiotics resistance requires more intervention and regulations
Because all countries have differing healthcare systems, it it difficult to develop a universal protocol for handling antibiotics
The World Health Organization has established (GLASS) - Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System
I believe this is a very relevant topic and any research in this field could be a major benefit to mankind
I believe I could secure funding for an experiment studying the various mechanisms by which different species of bacteria develop resistance or perhaps study the use of expired antibiotic medications on different species of bacteria and record how many generations it takes to develop resistant mechanisms (or something along these lines)
I would like to conduct some type of experiment regarding the development of antibiotic resistance in certain microorganisms