Doctors named diseases that are hard to treat with antibiotics
Illustrative photo (Freepik)
There are diseases that are increasingly difficult to overcome due to the resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. Additionally, bacteria can transfer this acquired ability to representatives of both their own and other species, complicating the situation, according to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The highest resistance
Experts have provided data from the World Health Organization (WHO) on diseases that are difficult to treat due to the resistance of pathogens to antibiotics.
The highest resistance is found in the pathogens of the most widespread infections on the planet: tuberculosis, pneumonia, gonorrhea, urinary tract infections, and certain types of gastrointestinal infections.
Health professionals point out that the prevalence of resistance to each individual antibiotic varies from country to country, even from hospital to hospital. Unfortunately, it is rapidly increasing.
Treatment failure in 8% to 93% of cases for urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli (the main pathogen of these infections) is due to bacteria's resistance to the antibiotic of choice, ciprofloxacin.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia developed in hospitals after using a lung ventilator is mostly caused by strains of bacteria-pneumococci with multiple antibiotic resistance.
Staphylococcus
Golden staphylococcus is a common resident of human skin. It can cause boils, furuncles, inflammation of deeper layers of the skin, as well as systemic infection, joint inflammation, and pneumonia.
People with temporary or permanent immunosuppression and those with open wounds or medical devices (such as catheters) are particularly vulnerable to these bacteria. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci cause fatal cases twice as often as strains sensitive to antibiotics.
Gonorrhea
According to experts, the gonorrhea pathogen is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics from the sulfonamide, penicillin, macrolide, fluoroquinolone, and cephalosporin groups.
Ceftriaxone remains the only effective drug in all cases so far. However, resistance to this antibiotic has significantly increased in Ukraine, and in the case of persistent gonorrhea, it is almost impossible to treat.
Tuberculosis
According to data, over 3% of new tuberculosis cases and 18% of previously treated cases are now resistant to several antibiotics, including the two main protocol drugs: rifampicin and isoniazid.
The effectiveness of treating tuberculosis with so-called multidrug-resistant strains is less than 60%, and such treatment requires significantly more time and resources.
Why this is a major global problem
The spread of antibiotic resistance is a massive global problem, as noted by the Ministry of Health.
This is why people are urged not to use antibiotics without a doctor's prescription, to wash hands, prevent infections through vaccination, and always choose barrier contraception.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
