Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance: Avoiding a post-apocalyptic movie scenario

What are antibiotics and why do we need them?

Antibiotics are medications that kill bacteria or stop them from multiplying. By turning deadly diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy, plague, pneumonia, or scarlet fever into treatable conditions, they have saved millions of lives since their discovery.

Today, the effectiveness of antibiotics is under threat. We are increasingly facing problems caused by the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to "resist," survive, and multiply despite the action of an antibiotic that should have destroyed them. It occurs because bacteria develop mechanisms and change, allowing them to withstand treatment, and when they multiply, they pass this resistance on to subsequent generations. Resistance develops not just to one specific antibiotic, but to any of those to which the bacteria were previously sensitive.

Over time, so-called superbugs have emerged—bacteria that no longer just fail to respond to a specific antibiotic, but to almost all common antibiotics.  

As a result, infections are becoming increasingly difficult to control. Infections that were once easily treated are becoming harder, more expensive, and sometimes impossible to cure.

Why is this happening?

Antibiotic resistance is a biological fact, but it is also a result of human actions.

Here are a few main reasons:

• ‍Overuse: Antibiotics are often taken for viral illnesses like the common cold or the flu, against which they are ineffective.‍
• Misuse: Some people stop their treatment prematurely, which allows the most resistant bacteria to survive and adapt.‍
• In agriculture: Antibiotics are given to healthy animals to help them grow faster. These drugs can enter the environment and the food chain, thereby spreading resistant bacteria.‍
• Pressure on doctors: Many patients expect to receive an antibiotic every time they get sick—even when it is a viral infection, against which antibiotics are ineffective. Sometimes, to avoid dissatisfaction or to save time on explanations, doctors feel pressured to prescribe medication that is not necessary.
• On the other hand, doctors themselves very often play it safe—prescribing an antibiotic "preventively", "so it doesn't go down," meaning to avoid missing a potential bacterial infection or complication. However, prescribing antibiotics preventively is medically indicated only in extremely rare cases, such as for patients with severe illnesses or those on special therapy.
• The slow progress in developing new antibiotics leaves us with fewer and fewer effective weapons against increasingly resistant bacteria. While bacteria evolve rapidly, scientific discoveries are struggling to keep up.

As a result, some infections that were easily treated decades ago are once again becoming a serious threat today.

Why does this matter?

Antibiotic resistance affects every one of us. Common infections—such as urinary tract infections, skin infections, or even minor wounds—can become life-threatening. Without effective antibiotics, surgical procedures, dental work, cancer treatment, and childbirth can become dangerous.

What can we do?

Limiting and slowing down antibiotic resistance is possible.

What can patients do?

• ‍Take antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor.
• Complete the full course, even if you are already feeling better, finish the treatment as prescribed.‍
• Do not share your leftover antibiotics with family or friends. Beyond contributing to bacterial resistance, this can be harmful and dangerous to the people you are trying to help.
• ... and do not stockpile antibiotics. They are intended for a specific infection, not "just in case." Not only might they be ineffective in other situations, but they could even cause harm.‍
• Protect yourself from infections. Wash your hands, get vaccinated, and prepare food safely.‍
• Support responsible farming. Choose meat and dairy products from farms that use antibiotics judiciously. Unfortunately, this can be both difficult and expensive, requiring time for research and extra financial resources. However, it is worth making the effort.

What can doctors and the healthcare system do?

• ‍Resist the pressure to prescribe antibiotics when there is no medical need.‍
• Avoid unnecessary defensive medicine. Every antibiotic given "just in case" accelerates the development of resistance.‍
• Use laboratory testswhenever possible to confirm whether an infection is bacterial.‍
• Antibiogram: avoid prescribing the strongest, broad-spectrum antibiotics when a more targeted, albeit narrower-spectrum, drug can be used.‍
• Inform patients about why an antibiotic is not always necessary and what can be done instead.

What can society do?

• ‍Invest more in scientific research. New antibiotics and alternative therapies are needed to replace outdated drugs.‍
• Implement control policies for antibiotic use in hospitals and agriculture.‍
• Conduct educational campaigns on the importance of the proper use of antibiotics.

Shared responsibility

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Every sensible decision we make and implement today helps preserve the effectiveness of these life-saving medicines for the future.

A world where a common cold could once again be fatal, an appendectomy could kill the surgeon, and a simple cut could be a death sentence sounds like a post-apocalyptic movie, but it could be a realistic future.

The scenario we will live in is being written by us every day through the choices we make.