When I was younger I was highly prone to cases of strep throat. I remember constant trips to the doctor’s office and having to take medicine for weeks in the form of pills. Like most children, I despised having to swallow the huge fowl-tasting capsule; an as my throat began to feel better I was convinced I did not need to continue torturing myself with swallowing “rocks.” However my mother, who is a public health nurse, outwitted my adolescent self and I finished taking my prescription. Looking back now as a student pursing a career in pathology, I see the importance of antibiotics and the large looming threat of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infection. With advancements in medicine antibiotics have greatly reduced illness and death, however these drugs are used so frequently that the issue of resistance is rising. In the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria resistant to antibiotics each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and at least 23,000 of these die as a result.

Resistance is caused by the infectious bacteria adapting to the presence of a drug, making treatments ineffective. Scientists are looking to better understand the defense mechanisms and physical movements of bacteria in different environments. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and an investigator at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology developed a time-lapse video to give insight to the public on the issue of antibiotic resistance. E.Coli bacteria were developed on a large plate and mapped across different degrees of antibiotics. The video is shown below:

 

Full article:

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/09/a-cinematic-approach-to-drug-resistance/

 

It is concerning to think that the antibiotics we are so dependent on for everything from strep throat to life-threating infections could no longer be effective. To counteract this issue, patients, healthcare providers, and researchers must engage in effective strategies. As a patient it is important to only take the correct antibiotics prescribed and to complete the entire dosage. Even if you start to feel better, the bacteria can still be in your system and those that are not killed will adapt to the presence of the drug and become stronger. Thus it is important to finish the prescription as directed and not save antibiotics until the next illness. Healthcare providers can be aware of patterns of resistance and improve on prescribing practices. Documentation of correct dosages of each antibiotic and its duration can lead the effort of prevention. Lastly, expansion in the field of science can lead towards fighting already resistant diseases and preventing arising of new diseases. By bringing the threat to the public attention and requesting funding is a step towards better medical care.

 

 

Pesheva, E. (2016, September 8). A cinematic approach to drug resistance. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/09/a-cinematic-approach-to-drug-resistance/

Mission Critical: Preventing Antibiotic Resistance. (2014, April 28). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/features/antibioticresistance/