ANTIBIOTICS “Boon for infection treatment”

Oct 11, 2014 Ruchira Dhoke Amazing Facts, Lifestyle & Health 0

Can you imagine the life in this big bad infectious world without antibiotics?

Throughout history there has been a battle between humans and the micro-organisms causing infection and disease.

The discovery of antibiotics transformed the “medicine”

HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTICS

It was in the latter half of 19^th century when the fact thata microorganism is capable of destroying one of another species was established when Sir Louis Pasteur noted the antagonistic effect of other bacteria on the anthrax organism and pointed out that this action might be put to therapeutic use. The idea of selective toxicity was put forward by the German chemist Paul Ehrlich which said that certain chemicals that would be toxic to some organisms, e.g., infectious bacteria, would be harmless to other organisms, e.g., humans. In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish biologist, demonstrated the antibacterial properties when he observed that colonies of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus could be destroyed by the mold Penicillium notatum. American microbiologist Selman Waksman in 1943 made the drug streptomycin, the first of a new class of drugs called aminoglycosides which could treat diseases like tuberculosis; however, the side effects were often too severe.

It surely was the golden era of antibiotics. It was believed by many experts that the tide against the war with bacterial infections has turned .Indeed, in 1969, the then US Surgeon General, William Stewart, boldly told the US Congress it was the time to “…close the books on infectious diseases.”

EMERGENCE OF RESISTANCE TO ANTI-MICROBIAL AGENTS

The happiness was short lived with the emergence of the drug resistant bacterial strains. As soon as the antibacterial drugs were deployed, bacteria responded by manifesting various forms of resistance .As the antimicrobial usage increased, so did the level of complexity of the resistance mechanisms exhibited by bacterial pathogens. The thought that come to the mind is why this happened? The answer to this question lies within us.

When we are down with cold or flu, what we do is pop a pill and probably think that antibiotics will help us feel better… not so. Antibiotics won’t work for viral illnesses such as colds, flu and most sore throats. Actually, taking antibiotics when we don’t need them is much more harmful. “Too much of anything is too bad”…such a cliché and when it comes to antibiotics it a proven fact.

Now the question is are antibiotics still the gift or the boon given to us and if so how are we going to continue to treat it as one? The answer to this question is…..

First and foremost is using them wisely.
Secondly by safeguarding the effectiveness of the antibacterial: Taking antibiotics exactly as prescribed by the doctor and following the instructions. Never stop the course of antibiotics before the completing the entire dosage prescribed as an incomplete course of antibiotics can wipes out the normal flora , while allowing relatively resistant bacteria to survive.
Stopping the use of over the counter drugs
Last but not the least is by protecting ourselves from the infection in the first place by inculcating good hygiene.

Alexander Fleming, antibiotics, infectious diseases

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Ruchira Dhoke

A qualified medical microbiologist with an avidity to read enchant a deep passion for creating a good impacting masterpiece with my words .I am very fond of good old English literature and like listening to music and paint in my free time.