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The phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance is concern for health authorities. According to the OECD, super-bacteria could kill 2.4 million people by 2050. However, simple steps can be taken to combat this scourge.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) draws attention to the excessive use of antibiotics in a report published on Wednesday (November 7th).
Ultimately, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could be destroyed by 2.4 million people by 2050 in Europe, North America and Australia. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of antibiotics. Here are 4 questions for more information on antimicrobial resistance.
What is Antimicrobial Resistance?
"Antimicrobial resistance is the emergence of a bacterium that becomes resistant to antibiotics", defines the website of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health. Bacteria that are "used" for this type of medicine are transforming and developing defense mechanisms. The result? Antibiotics become ineffective in the treatment of these infections.
What are the causes of antimicrobial resistance?
Resistance to antibiotics is caused by overuse and multiple use of antibiotics. But antibiotics work on both the bacteria of the infection that needs to be treated and those that are important to the body. Therefore, all bacteria will develop resistance mechanisms for antibiotics.
What are the consequences of antimicrobial resistance?
"Resistance to antibiotics threatens our present lifestyle and endangers all the advances made by medicine over 70 years", reports on the website of the Ministry of Health. "If excessive use of antibiotics does not stop, antimicrobial resistance could become one of the leading causes of death in the world".
Without effective antibiotics, the risk of medical intervention, such as surgery or chemotherapy, would be too high and therefore impossible. Diseases will last longer and could be a source of serious complications.
What category of population is affected by this scourge most?
"The probability that a resistant infection will be significantly higher in children in the first year and for adults 70 years and older", reports the OECD press release. On the other hand, men are more likely than women to develop a resistant infection.
How to stop antimicrobial resistance?
The OECD report shows that three out of four deaths from these infections can be avoided through simple measures: promoting better hygiene (hand washing), more justified use of antibiotics, testing rapidly diagnosis for patients to determine whether they have viral or bacterial infections, prescription antibiotics or organize awareness campaigns in the media.
Read also:
WHO draws attention to antibiotics: how to use them?
⋙ The use of antibiotics would increase the risk of kidney stones
⋙ 6 misconceptions about antibiotics
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