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Natural selection

The bacteria have been subject to natural selection theory. They are living creatures that adapt to adverse environmental circumstances and have even found ways to defend against the attack of antibiotics, its top enemy, thereby ensuring their survival. Many die in ‘combat’ but those who survive to attack again in the future and communicate this ability to their offspring.

Gradually, the antibiotic is reduced capacity and no longer effective or, indeed, less effective than before. This is the case of penicillin, the first antibiotic used against infections and today is one that has led to bacterial resistance in many countries.

With the new antibiotics has come up with something similar. As explained by the European Commission, “the worst case, which unfortunately is not unlikely, is that dangerous pathogens eventually acquire resistance to all antibiotics until now efficient, resulting in uncontrolled epidemics of bacterial impossible to treat. “Moreover, “we risk returning to the pre-antibiotic era, in which banal bacterial diseases which do not seem important now, back to the first position as to cause of death,” notes José Antonio Vázquez Boland, professor of Microbiology of the University of Bristol in the UK.

In his view a stop to it passes for “no abuse of antibiotics, since the more there is in circulation, the more it will favor the selection of bacteria that resist them” as well as educate the public and develop alternatives to antibiotics such as vaccines or molecules with novel targets for action.

The main victims

As with all ‘wars’ the weakest are those who suffer the worst consequences. Determined to treat respiratory infections with an excess of antibiotics, when most of the cases the cause is a virus, against which, therefore, an antibiotic can not do anything, nurseries are becoming resistant bacteria stays where grow freely. In nursing homes goes something like, because older people get infections in hospital and in homes where the bacteria end up settling problems. And, according to the European Commission, 60% of hospital infections are caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms.

Responsible attitude

It is in our hands to stop this situation by a responsible use of these drugs. The first thing we must keep in mind is that under no circumstances should self-medicate with antibiotics, it is the only doctor able to prescribe and also he who, knowing each individual case, may provide the dose and duration of treatment.

Risk situations are almost daily and repeated each day. When we decide for ourselves to stop taking the medication, help the germs to build resistance more rapidly and when we take antibiotics to alleviate the effects of a disease for which there have been created, like the flu, bacteria normally found in the body learn to resist the drug and propagate his discovery among future generations. Without knowing it we are exposing ourselves and the people around us to disease by resistant bacteria, infections very difficult to cure, and we ‘mortgaged’ the healing of others by acting as an ally of bacterial resistance.

Also the way in which we take the antibiotics is very important. And, if we separate the account over different doses, can cause relapses and if time is less than prescribed may appear adverse events such as allergies, vomiting, or diarrhea.

REMEMBER
Antibiotics can only be dispensed by prescription. Do not reproach your pharmacist if they are not provided.