Essay The Antibiotic Resistance Problem

Submitted By Dhruv-Bardwaj
Words: 5669
Pages: 23
Open Document
The Antibiotic Resistance Problem Revisited

M

M i c h a e l A . L a ws o n

r. C was a wealthy 49-year-old
Table 1. Examples of Diseases/Pathogens Associated with
Argentine businessman who was generally too busy to
Antibiotic resistance.* see a physician when he felt ill, preferring to treat himself with antibiotics and other drugs he purchased at
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Gonorrhea his local pharmacy. He experienced intermittent periVancomycin-Insensitive Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) Head lice ods of coughing, fever, and fatigue for several weeks, finally consulting his physician who found small
Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) Malaria bleeds under Mr. C’s skin, and decided to run blood
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) Pneumonias tests. The diagnosis was leukemia, and Mr. C sought treatment in Boston. The diagnosis was confirmed, and
Tuberculosis
appropriate treatment for his leukemia and a bacterial
*(CDC, 2006) infection, the source of the high fever, was begun. After
10 days of chemotherapy for the leukemia, no abnor• Shane Matthews, former Chicago Bears starting quarmal cells were seen in his blood. A bone marrow test on Day terback, underwent surgery for a hernia repair in 1999.
17 showed that he had responded to the leukemia treatment
He acquired a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus and was on his way to remission. However, the Escherichia aureus (MRSA) infection while in the hospital, spendcoli infection responsible for his high fever was proving ing three months in the hospital fighting the infecintractable. Lab results revealed that it was resistant to eight tion. He survived, but lost 30 pounds and much of his different antibiotics, including the newer cephalosporins. strength in the battle. It took him almost two years to
On Day 20 Mr. C lost consciousness due to an intracranial regain his strength (Levy & Fischetti, 2004). bleed, and on Day 22 he died. Autopsy results showed no
• Salmonella typhimurium DT104, has been responsible trace of leukemia, but multiple sites of E. coli infection. His for three major human outbreaks in the U.S. since intestinal tract had become an incubator for the development
1996, all of animal origin. This organism often carof antibiotic resistant organisms, including the E. coli which ries multiple resistance determinants, evidenced by led to his death (Levy, 2002). Mr. C obviously had no difthe Food and Drug Administration’s isolation of one ficulty in simply walking in to a pharmacy and purchasing strain carrying resistance to 12 different antibiotics over-the-counter antibiotics, and most likely received little
(Walters, 2003). guidance as to antibiotic selection and course of treatment. In
• More than two billion of the world’s six billion populahis case, this practice undoubtedly was a significant factor in tion have latent tuberculosis, including 10-15 million his death. Over-the-counter (OTC) availability of antibiotics is
Americans. Eight million active cases are diagnosed a problem in nations other than Argentina. Amabile-Cuevas globally each year. In the tuberculosis epidemic in New
(2003) estimates that approximately 30% of antibiotic purYork City from 1979-92, over one-third of the cases were chases in Mexico City drugstores are OTC, and in the U.S. multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB). The city’s response soldiers often buy antibiotics intended for treating aquarium included local screening programs, Directly Observed fish to save money.
Therapy-Short Term (DOTS) clinics, improved health
E. coli is by no means the only microbe associated with care in city jails, plus quarantine for some patients antibiotic resistance. The Centers for Disease Control and
(only 11 % completed therapy voluntarily) at a total
Prevention list several other diseases and pathogens assocost of over a billion dollars (Markel, 2004). ciated with this public health problem (see
Show More

Related Documents: Essay The Antibiotic Resistance Problem

Why Does The Antibiotic Resistance Problem Represent An Example Of Evolution

and animal species. The stated intent of the voyage was to obtain evidence that supported the biblical theory of creation as well as chart poorly known parts of the South American coastline. 2. Why does the Antibiotic resistance problem represent an example of evolution? The antibiotic problem is a perfect example of evolution because it shows how species have adapted and evolved based on their environment. It shows how bacteria can adjust and either thrive or die when faced…

Words 2274 - Pages 10

Antibiotic Resistance

There has been a rapid shift in medicine with antibiotic resistance becoming a problem or crisis in today's society. Seventy percent of the bacteria identified in the world is now becoming resistant to the use of antibiotics (Furber et.al., 2017). If this trend continues in the future of medicine, antibiotic resistance will become more of a pandemic worldwide. In the article written by Furber, the author discuss how antibiotic resistance is becoming a challenge in the health care system and being…

Words 778 - Pages 4

Essay Triclosan: Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Antibacterial Resistance (Draft) Intro Triclosan is a common household antibiotic that is found in products ranging fro soap to deodorant. There have been many questions raised as to the ability of triclosan to promote antibiotic resistance to bacteria. Antibiotics Antibiotics are a class of substances that can kill or inhibit the growth of some group of microorganisms, such as bacteria. Pencillin, the first antibiotics were derivatives of molds and fungi. While other antibiotics are being…

Words 933 - Pages 4

Essay on Micro-Organisms and Antibiotic Resistance

submission/re-submission: Re-submission Word total: 3398 One of the greatest problems that the world at large and the health care system of the world and especially the health care system of New Zealand suffering is the antibiotic resistance between microorganisms. Antibiotics are medicines used to kill or slow down the growth of bacteria that causes infectious diseases (Department of Health, 2014). Antibiotics are used to treat and prevent infectious bacterial diseases in humans and in domestic…

Words 3308 - Pages 14

Mdr Neisseria Gonorrhea Research Paper

usage of antibiotics has been seen as one of the advancements of the 20th century. While antibiotics continue to be impressive as they continue to do their job of either inhibiting or killing the microbes that cause many diseases, the real wonder is the rise of antibiotic resistance that continues to increase with documented cases around the world. Antibiotics have benefited mankind for many decades, but the over usage and exploitation of these helpful drugs has caused domino effect of resistance from…

Words 1534 - Pages 7

The Importance Of Animal Antibiotics

American’s are prescribed antibiotics to aid their health, but humans are not the only ones given antibiotics. Farmers across the United States are giving antibiotics to their animals but, why? They are not given antibiotics for the same reasons as humans but for other countless reasons. It is evident that we need to know why animals are given antibiotics; it is also important to know if giving animals antibiotics is harmful to human health. In order to know if giving animals antibiotics is harmful to our…

Words 1817 - Pages 8

Explain Why Sehet Fights Against Antibiotic Resistance

Sehet fights against Antibiotic Resistance Antibiotic resistance is a general term which is given to a condition where the microbe causing the disorder becomes immune to the antibiotic medicine that you might take to contradict their action. This is mostly in the case of the bacteria, as antibiotics like penicillin are mostly given to conditions that have bacterial origin. This type of resistance from the microorganism has in many ways affected the health of the people and has also made it impossible…

Words 526 - Pages 3

Super Bug Research Paper

Explain the evolution of “super bugs” and the antibiotic resistance problem. Use an example. The term ‘super bug’ most commonly refers to bacterial strains that are resistant to the chemical effects of antibiotics and detergents. Antibiotics were invented in the early 1900s and since then have been used as effective treatments in reducing the prevalence of a variety of illnesses and diseases, in both humans and animals. However by the 1980s, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria like Methicillin-resistant…

Words 842 - Pages 4

Bacterial Resistance In Troy Stulen's Life

a deadly antibiotic resistant bacteria. One year after a successful surgery, Troy became the seventh victim to die from this bacteria in the Maryland hospital (James). Resistant bacteria have become a threat to the way humans live. These bacteria often cannot be killed, in turn taking human lives. In order to reduce the extent at which resistant bacteria alter human life, the people must not only curb their demand for antibiotics, but for antibacterial soaps as well.…

Words 476 - Pages 2

Essay on When the Antibiotics Quit Working

When the Antibiotics Quit Working Abstract This paper will explore the danger of bacteria becoming resistance to antibiotics. It will also explore when antibiotics should be prescribed by a physician, why over-use of antibiotics can cause a negative effect on bacteria and if antibiotic resistance can become a common source of bacterial infections. When the Antibiotics Quit Working Antibiotics help with the prevention of the cellular…

Words 848 - Pages 4