What is antibiotic resistance? Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change so that antibiotic medicines can’t kill them or stop their growth. As a result, bacterial infections become extremely difficult to treat. Advertisement Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Antibiotic resistance is a type of antimicrobial resistance. Fungi, parasites and viruses can also develop drug resistance. Your body doesn’t develop antibiotic resistance — bacteria do. When antibiotic resistance happens, fewer antibiotics are effective against a particular bacterium. Other antibiotics often help, but it’s important to have as many treatment options available as possible. It’s also important to begin effective treatment as quickly as possible for serious infections. If it takes longer for providers to find a medication that will treat an antibiotic-resistant infection, the outcome can be more serious. Antibiotic resistance is dangerous because it reduces treatment options for people who are sick. It may also delay effective treatment. As a result, you may face: Increased risk of severe, extended illness or death. Severe medication side effects. Longer hospital stays. More medical appointments. Increased medical costs. Public health experts and policymakers are working on solutions to antibiotic resistance. But there’s no easy fix, and it takes collaboration from a large number of people to make effective change. Learning about antibiotic resistance can help you take action to protect yourself, your loved ones and many others you’ll never meet. Advertisement What causes antibiotic resistance?Bacteria naturally become resistant to medications over time. But certain factors can speed up the process, including: Who is most at risk for antibiotic-resistant infections?Antibiotic-resistant infections can affect anyone. But certain groups are more at risk due to their health status or living environment. People more vulnerable to these types of dangerous infections include: Why is antibiotic resistance a problem?Antibiotic resistance is a concern because it removes tools from the toolkit healthcare providers use to treat you when you’re sick. If certain bacteria can resist certain medications, providers need to find other medications to help you get better. And this isn’t always easy. But to fully understand why antibiotic resistance matters, it helps to learn how it affects us all on a global scale. Antibiotic resistance is a global public health problem. That means it can affect you because it can affect everyone. But individual people don’t become resistant to antibiotics. Specific types of bacteria do. That’s because, as we all use antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, those bacteria start to adapt. Think of a friend who likes to throw surprise parties. The first time, they could easily surprise you or someone else in your group. But after a while, you pick up on their plans and can sense when a surprise is coming. So, your friend has to work really hard to make a surprise happen — and they might not be able to at all. Advertisement It’s similar with bacteria. The more we “surprise” bacteria with an antibiotic, the more they become wise to it. They can see it coming, and they don’t like surprises. So, they find ways to dodge it (resist the antibiotic’s effects). That doesn’t mean your body is becoming resistant to antibiotics. It means bacteria out there in the world (which may at some point affect your body) aren’t as easily tricked by antibiotics as they once were. So, healthcare providers must work harder to find other antibiotics to treat certain infections. Which antibiotic-resistant bacteria are deadliest?These bacteria are associated with the most deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections globally: What are superbugs?Superbugs are bacteria, viruses or other germs that have adapted to the medicines that typically kill them. They grow wise to the drugs. Instead of going away, they continue multiplying and causing infections despite treatment. There’s a chance that no antibiotic will work. Some bacterial infections with superbug status include: Advertisement How can we combat antibiotic resistance?Healthcare providers and policymakers must do a good amount of the heavy lifting to change things on a global scale. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. There’s a lot you can do, too. Here are a few tips: Advertisement How do healthcare providers treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria?Treatment options are often limited. Providers look for a type of antibiotic, or a combination of medicines, that’ll treat your infection. For example, carbapenems are antibiotics that work well against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Your provider gives you carbapenems (like meropenem) by injection. Your provider will explain treatment options to you, as well as the benefits and risks. Researchers continue to look into new and better options for treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Meanwhile, following guidelines for proper antibiotic use can help existing medicines stay in our toolkit. What is an antibiotic-resistant UTI?Healthcare providers can treat most urinary tract infections (UTIs) with antibiotics. However, an antibiotic-resistant UTI is an infection in your urethra, bladder or kidneys that doesn’t clear up despite treatment with commonly used antibiotics. E. coli bacteria cause most UTIs. Normally, antibiotics could clear up those infections. But bacteria are getting better at resisting treatment. For example, some strains of E. coli make enzymes called extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). These enzymes break down and destroy antibiotics. This prevents the antibiotics from working and your infection gets worse and harder to treat. A provider might prescribe common antibiotics for a UTI without realizing the bacteria causing it are a resistant strain. You might start feeling better after a day or two of antibiotics. That’s because the antibiotic is killing some bacteria, but the resistant bacteria are still hanging on. So, you won’t fully recover with that current drug. Your provider may need to change your antibiotic if they find out you’re sick from a strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The good news is that there are some antibiotics that work for antibiotic-resistant UTIs. Your provider will tell you which medications are best for you. Be sure to follow the guidelines they give you for dosage and finish all your medication, even if you start to feel better. (责任编辑:) |