Antibiotic Resistance Risk

[JamesEFC]

Plus in some European countries, they have a large selection of AB for sale over the counter. This doesn't help

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Plus in some European countries, they have a large selection of AB for sale over the counter. This doesn't help

Speaking as someone who lived in the IOM for 12 years, I can confirm that they dish out antibiotics very freely still.

 

[Dell Boy]

Can't we just experiment with the Welsh?

Inject them with whatever disease you like and pick and choose random natural cures?

 

[Dell Boy]

I'm a pharmacy student, and they have been drumbing this into us for years.

There are loads of reasons for it, remember that 7 day course you had but you stopped after 5 because you felt better? Hmmm

Sorry - serious question - can you explain that last bit again?

 

[JamesEFC]

Sorry - serious question - can you explain that last bit again?

No problem, basically a lot of people get 5/7 day courses for antibiotics. But they usually start feeling better after 3/4 days and stop taking them, but there are still some bacteria that remain and these could be resistant and pass on the resistant genes when then multiply which can lead to spread of resistance for that particular antibiotic.

Thats why they always hound you to finish the course but still a lot of people don't.

 

[Dell Boy]

Thats why they always hound you to finish the course but still a lot of people don't.

Ah I see thanks mate.

Yep that's been me for the last 20 years!

 

[JamesEFC]

Ah I see thanks mate.

Yep that's been me for the last 20 years!

Jesus christ lad so all this is your fault?!

 

[heatmeiser]

What happens is, the organisms evolve themselves to be able to resist antibiotics that are common. Like everyone here - if we see something that shocks you once it'll have an effect, but see it everyday and you get used to it.

Same with bacterial infections - they see the drug all the time and over a period of years it gradually has less effect. For MRSA, hospitals rotate antibiotics to prevent further resistance. This is a problem that has been growing since the discovery of penicillin, by the way. It's not new.

So basically, in your professional opinion, what you're saying is... zombies?

 

[Titus Bramble]

A large chunk of my degree involved studying this kind of stuff. I find it fascinating.

Ultimately, though, to get past this problem, huge amounts of money needs to be spent and that ain't happening.

 

[WA Toffee]

Over prescribing is only part of the problem - people not taking the full course also has a major role to play. How many people take their antibiotics for a few days, feel better so stop taking them. All you have done is kill 99.9999% of the bacteria, leaving 0.00001 (or whatever) to develop an immunity to the drug in question. These are the ones that then proliferate leaving us with drug resistant bacteria.

Regarding the earlier post about the food chain being responsible, it certainly was in years gone by due to antibiotics routinely being added to feed, however that practice has not happend for many years (in Australia anyway, not sure about elsewhere). I used to work in a large dairy factory, and before any milk was unloaded from the tankers we did a test for trace amounts of antibiotics, any milk found to have even a trace of antibiotic was thrown out before it even got into the factory. And we tested every single tanker that came in.