Antibiotic Resistance: Facts to ponder
During the mid-20th century, the antibiotic era, infectious diseases were believed to be eradicated. Later antibiotics played a pivotal role for successful invasive and surgeries in transplantation, oncology andmany other medical disciplines. Availability ofantibiotic therapy has significantly reduced mortality resulting in increased life expectancy in general. Nevertheless, increasing numbers of bacteria are becoming resistantto multiple antibiotics currently in use resulting in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance manifests in 2 ways in bacteria
1. Natural intrinsic resistance due to lack orpresence of certain structures resulting in ineffectiveness of antibiotics
2. Acquire resistance via mutations in chromosomal genes or via horizontal gene transfer ofchromosomes or plasmids that lead to antibiotic resistance.
Molecular mechanisms that can lead to resistance can be categorized as
- Reduction of intracellular antibiotic concentrations
- Modification of the antibiotic target
- Inactivation of the antibiotic
The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens. The world faces an antibiotics pipeline and access crisis.
Complementary or Alternative medicine like homeopathy holds promise for offering new solutions in the fight against infections, especially in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Clinical research suggests that homeopathy is effective in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in children, a frequent cause of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. By using effective homeopathic medications, if patients could be cured, it would reduce the load of antibiotics in the biotic and abiotic environment thus cutting the cycle of spread of antibiotic resistance
Dr.Y.V.S.Annapurna,
Assistant Professor,
Department of pathology & Microbiology
