Antibiotics are powerful medicines that treat infections caused by bacteria. Since their discovery in the 1930s they have saved millions of lives. But antibiotics are not a remedy and there may be consequences if antibiotics are abused or too much are used.
Maxx Enzmann and Zack Nelson, infectious diseases pharmacists at Health partners, discuss the good and bad antibiotics and how antimicrobial stewardship can improve fairness and can help keep patients and communities healthy. Listen to the episode or read the transcript.
“Very precious sources”
Zack says that antibiotics “are one of the most in -depth medicines in human history in terms of increasing life expectancy”, but also notes that we have to use these “very expensive means” wisely.
Antibiotics become less effective over time, both when they are used correctly and when they are abused. Excessive use can lead to antibiotic resistance, that is when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the antibiotics that are designed to treat them. Since antibiotic resistance is currently exceeding the new antibiotic development, it is important to only use antibiotics when needed.
There are considerations with antibiotics
Many people believe that antibiotics are benign, and even if they don’t help exactly, they won’t hurt. They can regard antibiotics as a preventive measure – for example, something to take in case sniffing will become a nasty sinus infection or if you feel a bladder infection coming up.
“That mentality really has to change,” says Maxx. “There are many consequences of unnecessary antibiotic use.” They include:
- Destroy good bacteria – “There are many bacteria in our body that do many good things for us, and without them we are actually susceptible to certain diseases, perhaps more infections,” says Maxx. For example, antibiotics can kill the useful bacteria in your digestive system, making it more likely that you will develop severe diarrhea by a C. difficile infection.
- Higher chance of chronic diseases – Some studies suggest that the use of antibiotics in childhood can increase the chance to get chronic diseases at a later age. “I still think there should be more information about it, but there are definitely some warning signals there are,” says Maxx.
The importance of antimicrobial stewardship
As members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at Health partners, Zack and Maxx promote the best use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents and develop guidelines for diagnosing and treating infections.
“We should not treat your normal urinary tract infections, your normal pneumonies in eight different ways. We have to treat them in the evidence-based way, “says Zack.
Precision -use of antimicrobial agents pays off in a large way. Patients and the community not only remain healthier, but it also ensures more careful use of supplies such as IV liquid.
Improving equity in antibiotics security between communities
Specialists in infectious diseases such as Zack and Maxx have special training and experience in the best ways to manage infections. But this expertise is not always immediately available-90% of the provinces in the US have below the average or no access to a doctor with infectious diseases, according to an investigation.
“As if you wouldn’t treat cancer without an oncologist, serious infections should be treated with people who have the required expertise to manage them,” says Zack.
The ASP program works to reduce barriers for safe and effective antibiotic use throughout the community. Sources and guidelines are available for clinicians who may not have official training in infectious diseases. And there is also a contagious pharmacist diseases at Health partners who focuses on locations outside the metro area.
Zack says that by making treatment guidelines visible and accessible to all clinics who treat affected patients, “that will make their care more equal,” says Zack.
