22/11/2021
Today, I represented my team of in my first debate at work to mark the week 2021.
Debate topic: Do you think that the duration of antibiotics use has any effect on antibiotic resistance?
My team argued in favour of the notion; and you know what, WE WON!!
Here is an excerpts of my presentation.
The crisis of antimicrobial resistance should be everyone's concern as it has become a global pandemic. Anyone anywhere at any age can also become a victim!
As we speak, Two (2) out of Three (3) healthy persons in India walk the streets with antibiotic-resistant organisms in their digestive tracts.
This is according to a study published in 2019 by the Indian council of medical research. The study analyzed about 207 individuals who have not taken antibiotics for at least the last 12 months.
Based on the analysis of the results, 139 out of 207 which is 67% were resistant to one or more classes of antibiotics with Cephalosporin such as Ceftriaxone being the greatest culprit (60%) followed by Fluoroquinolones 41.5%,
The question is why is this the case? Now according to Dr. Pallab Ray, a professor of medical microbiology who led this study, There is one most critical driver of resistance in the patients which is Long term use of antibiotics which has transformed even the healthy normal flora in the GIT into a reservoir of superbugs
Today, as we all know in Nigeria, Every dick and Harry can access antibiotics like sweets in the markets.
Veronica will have catarrh, she will rush to antibiotics, She has malaria, ANTIBIOTICS, Vero wants to prevent pregnancy, ANTIBIOTICS. She wants to ‘wash her blood after sex’ she grabs Ampiclox Beecham for 20days.
By the time Vero now falls sick and presents to Dr. T. in your neighborhood CLINICS, as the Doctor wey sabi, He prescribes Amoxil 500mg TDS x 14 days, at the end, Vero is still sick-
what an unfortunate reality in Nigeria.
A systematic review and meta-analytic studies assessing the effects of antibiotics prescribing in primary care on antimicrobial resistance in patients.
The study reviewed 4373 papers including 24 studies, 19 observational studies, and 5 RCTs . The five Randomised controlled trials in Urinary tracts bacteria involving 14,348 patients,
The Odd Ratio for resistance was 2.5 with 2months of antibiotics treatment and 1.33 within 12 months in Urinary tract infections
In seven studies of URTI involving 2605 patients, The OR was 2.4 for 2months and the same for 12 months.
Therefore they concluded that there is strong evidence showing that long duration of antibiotic administration is strongly associated with high rates of antibiotic resistance.
So today, I believe along with my gallant team of bug busters that we are able to convince you all to support this motion, spread awareness and stop the resistance
I await your comments and questions.
