Superbugs: Overcoming the Resistance Bio 1M03 PBL Project March 11, 2014 This report has been edited and approved by all contributing group members before submission. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has presented many problems in our society, including an increased chance of fatality due to infections that could have otherwise been treated with success. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, but overexposure to these drugs give the bacteria more opportunities to mutate, forming resistant strains. Through natural selection, those few mutated bacteria are able to survive treatments of antibiotics and then pass on their genes to other bacterial cells through lateral gene transfer (Zhaxybayeva, 2011). Once resistance builds in one patient, it is possible for the strain to be transmitted to others through improper hygiene and failure to isolate patients in hospitals. Resistance arises from mutations that are not under the control of humans, but the evolution of bacteria has been sped along by the overexposure of antibiotics to both people and animals. The number of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in an area is closely related to the frequency that antibiotics that are prescribed (Todar, 2012). Patients often unnecessarily demand antibiotics to treat common colds or simple illnesses that are not caused by bacteria. Instead, these infections are caused by viruses which, unlike bacteria, are unaffected by antibiotics. Incorrect diagnosis can also lead patients to using unnecessary antibiotics, which can sometimes be even more dangerous than otherwise left untreated. Besides the fact that antibiotics kill off beneficial bacteria in the intestines, misuse of antibiotics provides an opportunity ... ... middle of paper ... ... antibiotic resistance has quickly become an increasing concern in recent times due to the growing use of antibiotics. To combat this problem, we propose that healthy intestinal floras be maintained after antibiotic resistance using fecal bacteriotherapy, and that processes of lateral gene transfer be disrupted before antibiotic resistance through the use of copper surfaces and after antibiotic resistance through synthesized CSPs. Continuing research in these solutions as well as implementing these strategies into mainstream medicine will certainly reduce the frequency of antibiotic resistance along with incidences of serious disease outbreaks in hospitals. With a better understanding of the causes of antibiotic resistance and the role that patients and doctors play in these causes, it is time to move forward and attempt to eradicate this problem once and for all.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that antibiotic resistance presents many problems in our society, including an increased chance of fatality due to infections that could have otherwise been treated with success.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance arises from mutations that are not under the control of humans, but the evolution of bacteria has been sped along by the overexposure of antibiotics to both people and animals.
- Explains that antibiotics began in the 1940s with the discovery of the penicillum fungi’s ability to kill off bacteria. the drug became widely used as a miracle drug to cure and prevent illnesses.
- Explains that many solutions to the problem of antibiotic resistance have been proposed, but the issue has yet to be solved.
- Explains that fecal bacteriotherapy is an alternative method for treating clostridium difficile infections, but other antibiotic-resistant infections can be cured using it.
- Explains that fecal bacteriotherapy requires the donation of healthy samples from donors who have not taken antibiotics in the preceding 3 months.
Related
- opinionated
- explanatory
- analytical
- Antibiotics Essayopinionated essayFor many years we have become increasingly dependant on antibiotics to fight off the bacteria that cause diseases in our bodies. Many of the diseases these bacteria and microbes cause are infectious. For these reasons, it has been noticed that bacteria and other microbes are becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics prescribed to sick people. Many doctors prescribe antibiotics for common illnesses, yet other medicines such as home remedies and homeopathy could be used instead. As a result, we are using antibiotics too often, as many sources claim we should only be using them once every three years.”Bacteria have shown a remarkable ability to endure and adapt to their environment including the development of different mechanisms of resistance to most old and new antimicrobial agents”. Because of the frequent prescription, the bacteria and microbes that cause these illnesses are exposed to the same type of antibiotics frequently, thus they are able to adapt and build up resilience against these antibiotics. “Bacteria have developed resistance to all different classes of antibiotics discovered to date” . This is a major problem as we rely so heavily on antibiotics to treat serious illnesses that we are running out of options to treat them with. The prescribing of antibiotics for illnesses that are not life-threatening are now resulting in fewer solutions to cure people affected by diseases that can be fatal.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many doctors prescribe antibiotics for common illnesses, yet other medicines such as home remedies and homeopathy could be used instead.
- Explains that antibiotics used to treat streptococcus pneumoniae are becoming increasingly ineffective as a result of the antibiotic being prescribed to so many people so often.
- Opines that the vision that we will be rid of many of these diseases seems extremely unlikely. in fact, we are more likely to move on the opposite direction, discovering many more infectious diseases.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance has become so strong that some (although very few) bacteria have become completely resistant to all antibiotics that are considered safe and can only be treated with potentially harmful and toxic drugs.
- Compares the number of deaths caused by mrsa infections in the united states of america with that of aids.
- Explains that bacteria make use of several ways to render prescribed antibiotics ineffective, such as enzymatic inactivation of the antibiotic.
- Explains that ddt was a chemical that could solve the world's pest problems during the second world war. it was used to kill mosquitoes carrying malaria, but had terrible side-effects such as causing cancer and infertility in humans.
- Explains that many animals are now exposed to antibiotics in their feed, which diminishes the effect of the antibiotic. this is terribly problematic as any person handling or consuming the meat from these animals can become infected.
- Opines that to solve the crisis of increasingly resistant bacteria, we all have to take initiative.
1033 wordsRead More - Bacterial Resistanceexplanatory essayBacterial resistance is a problem that has profoundly impacted the medical community. Bacterial resistance results when bacteria become resistant to individual antibiotics through the development of specific defense mechanisms which render the antibiotic ineffective. This problem has become evident in recent years as numerous cases have been reported in which antibiotics are not effective against the bacteria that they have fought off for years. The recent troubles with bacterial resistance have caused panic throughout the United States. The pharmaceutical industry hasn’t been producing many antibiotics because they thought that the antibiotics they had created had solved many of the problems resulting from bacterial infections. An increasing amount of attention has been given to antibiotic resistance with each passing year and experts are optimistic for the future; however, the threat of bacterial resistance exists today and is a major cause for concern.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that bacterial resistance is a problem that has profoundly impacted the medical community.
- Explains that the discovery of penicillin in the 1940s proved to be the dawn of the antibiotic era.
- Explains the problem of bacterial resistance is rooted in the overuse of many antibiotics. both normal and mutant bacteria replicate at an astounding rate.
- Explains that tuberculosis is a disease that has been eradicated from industrialized nations such as the united states. the number of cases in which antibiotics are ineffective has risen significantly each year.
- Explains that the medical community has responded to the increasing threat of bacterial resistance, and the need for alternate solutions is evident.
638 wordsRead More - Antibiotics Essayexplanatory essay. Many doctors and patients are unaware that antibiotics are designed to treat bacterial infections, not viral infections (Antibiotic resistance, N.D.). Many bacteria within our bodies are not harmful at all, and some of them actually provide health benefits. The bacteria that are harmful are disease-causing bacteria, which generate sicknesses such as strep throat, the common cold, and ear infections (Get, 2013). Viruses are smaller than bacteria and require hosts, such as plants or animals, in order to proliferate (What, N.D.). Doctors play a vital role in administering antibiotics, for patients rely on their knowledge and expertise in order to receive proper medication for ailments throughout their lives. According to www.acponline.org, 190 million doses of antibiotics are administered every day. Among patients that do not reside in hospitals, doctors prescribe more than 133 million antibiotic programs every year. Of those 133 million programs, it is estimated that over 50 percent of them are unnecessarily prescribed because the doctor is prescribing them for viral infections such as common colds or simple coughs (Antibiotic resistance, N.D.). However, doctors are not the only ones to blame in regard to misuse of antibiotics because their patients are just as guilty when it comes to ignorance in respect to antibiotic usage. Many preventable factors have emerged because of irresponsibility of patients, including self-medication practices and the temptations of cheap, counterfeit drugs, all of which have aggravated drug resistance in the last 20 years (What, N.D.). Also, many patients are unaware of the dangers that can result from leaving medication behind because they don’t use it. It is extremely ill-advised to leave behind eve...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many doctors and patients are unaware that antibiotics are designed to treat bacterial infections, not viral infections.
- Opines that antibiotic resistance is preventable if more doctors, patients, and everyday citizens were educated about the proper distribution and usage of antibiotics.
- Explains that smoking is the primary risk factor for being diagnosed with copd, which is one of the leading causes of death among humans.
- Explains that copd encompasses two principal conditions: chronic bronchitis, and emphyseme, which are key components in the diagnosis of the disease.
- Explains how corticosteroids, inhalants, and antibiotics can alleviate the symptoms of bronchitis and emphysemea.
1330 wordsRead More - Antibiotic Resistance Essayexplanatory essayWhen antibiotics first began to see widespread American usage in the 1940’s, they were heralded as a miracle drug, a description that was not far from the mark considering the great number of debilitating or fatal illnesses that they could rapidly cure. In a time where bacterial diseases that today carry few serious health risks in healthy adults—such as strep throat, ear infections, syphilis, and wound infections—often led to serious debilitation or death, the invention of antibiotics was among the greatest single improvements in public health ever made. And today, more than three quarters of a century after Alexander Fleming discovered the antimicrobial properties of penicillin, antibiotics are as important as ever in maintaining a healthy population, from their ability to treat common infections to the safeguards they provide patients undergoing surgeries and other infection-prone procedures that could otherwise be too risky to perform. However, today many doctors and researchers are beginning to fear that this golden era of antibiotics may be coming to an end due to the ever-increasing threat of antibiotic resistance. There are a number of practices that contribute to increased antibiotic resistance, including the unnecessary prescription, improper dosage, and incorrect usage of antibiotic drugs by humans. But one of the major potential causes of antibiotic resistance does not involve human patients at all. Rather, many believe that the excessive use of antibiotics in food animals is among the leading threats to the future of human ability to fight bacterial infections.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that antibiotics are important in maintaining a healthy population, from their ability to treat common infections to the safeguards they provide patients undergoing surgeries.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance is a threat that has been theorized since the beginning of their medical uses.
- Explains the reasons why livestock producers use antibiotics on their animals. bacterial infections pose a number of threats to cattle producers.
- Explains that the use of antibiotics in livestock is not limited to treating infections that have already occurred. prophylactic use eliminates the need to monitor animals for signs of infection, and inhibits its spread.
- Explains that low-dosage usage of antibiotics in healthy animals is about the worst thing that can be done in terms of breeding antibiotic resistant bacteria.
1064 wordsRead More - Essay On Antibioticsexplanatory essayThe use of antibiotics or antimicrobial has allowed our worlds nations to flourish for decades. Antibiotics have cured many serious bacterial infections and saved millions of lives due to epidemics and plagues. While antibiotics have helped our nations to flourish, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics or antimicrobials has increased the rate of developing antibiotic resistant bacteria. It is a constant fight between newer, stronger antibiotics and rapidly, evolving resistant bacteria; with no new classifications of antibiotics discovered since the 1970’s, antibiotic resistant bacteria are given the opportunity to dominate. Antibiotics are over prescribed to millions of people each year, studies say more than half of those prescriptions were to treat illness that antibiotics have no effect on. (Aminov,Rustam) Doctors need to stop writing unjustifiable prescriptions for antibiotics and patients need to stop demanding antibiotics from doctors when they are not necessary. The serious nature and likely consequences of misused antibiotics needs to be understood among the public. Knowing what antibiotics are, how they work in the body, and when you need to take them will reduce their widespread overuse. In addition, knowing why and how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and what tragedy will arise if abusing antibiotics continue. Most importantly, what action and prevention methods be can done to reverse this rise of power in infection causing bacteria.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics has increased the rate of developing antibiotic resistant bacteria.
- Explains that antibiotics are a broad class of chemicals that inhibit growth or kill bacteria. they have no effect on viral infections like the common cold of flu.
- Opines that the antibiotic era is thought to be the approximately last seven decades, although there is evidence of exposure to forms of antibiotics in what was considered the pre-antibiotic period.
- Explains the antibacterial qualities of the artemisia plant were extracted and refined in the 1970s. other herbs from chinese traditional medicine also show signs of antimicrobial activity.
- Explains that paul ehrlich and alexander fleming invented the "magic bullet" that would only target disease-causing microbes, not the host.
- Explains that alexander fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, on accident due to a messy laboratory. howard florey and ernest chain isolated and purified the penicillin that was needed for testing.
- Explains that antibiotics are evolving at an alarming fast rate after widespread overuse and misuse for over 70 years.
- Explains that misused antibiotics are the number one cause in resistant bacteria, and drug resistance is a worldwide problem.
- Explains how the center for disease control and prevention categorizes drug-resistant superbugs by threat level for the first time.
- Explains that the cre (carbapenmen-resistant enterobacteriaceae) bacteria are a family of germs that are resistant to all existing antibiotics.
- Explains that clostridium difficile (c-diff) is a bacterium that causes problems in the colon. symptoms range from mild diarrhea to life-threatening diarrhea.
- Explains that neisseria gonorrhoeae is a drug resistant strain of gonorrhea. mrsa is resistant to all antibiotics except vancomycin.
- Opines that antibiotic resistance is a world wide problem and it needs to be addressed worldwide. antibiotics are powerful drugs, but they are not effective against viral infections.
- Opines that new antibiotics need to be discovered, researched, and tested for human use, despite their cost.
- Explains that antibiotics are being pumped into farm animals, our food source, for various reasons, and it needs to be stopped. the food and drug administration (fda) is implementing a voluntary plan with industry’s to phase out the use
- Opines that prevention methods are needed to keep evolving bacteria at its slowest rate. one of the most useful prevention measures is to detect and track the changes and patterns in antibiotic resistant bacteria.
- Explains that the simplest yet hardest prevention method is to prevent the spread of bacteria and ultimately superbugs between public.
- Opines that antibiotics have greatly reduced illness and death from infectious diseases since the 1940s. antibiotics need to be used conservatively to maintain their value and to keep resistant bacteria evolving at a slow place.
1905 wordsRead More - Essay On Penicillinexplanatory essayCurrently 700,000 have died from antibiotic resistance, which is a lot higher than the statistics for deaths caused by measles, cholera and tetanus combined. This is showing that already, it has already caused a lot of damage, and it continues to spread.(Walsh, 2014)
In this essay, the author
- Opines that unless something changes in the near future, the power of penicillin could soon be diminished.
- Explains that before the discovery of penicillin, the only available treatments for bacterial infections were toxic; arsenic, sulpha, and quinine.
- Explains how fleming's publishing was discovered by ernst chain at oxford university, who persuaded howard florey to attempt to isolate the penicillin.
- Explains how florey convinced the us government to fund research on producing mass quantities of penicillin through the use of deep-tank fermentation.
- Explains that the molecular structure of penicillin was discovered by dorothy crowfoot hodgkin and robert burns woodward. both received nobel prizes for their efforts.
- Explains that the discovery of antibiotics had a huge impact on healthcare in the mid-20th century, and continues to carry on to the present day.
- Explains the difference in healthcare prior to penicillin use compared to recent years. in 1900, 30.4% of all deaths in humans were of children.
- Explains that penicillin's success is slowly becoming inoperative. some of the bacteria that antibiotics treat are actually becoming resistant to them, meaning they lose all power.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance has already caused a lot of damage, and it continues to spread.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance can spread from the bottom of the food chain to other human beings. crops can be sprayed with water or fertiliser which contain drug resistant bacteria.
- Explains that once antibiotic resistant bacteria enters the body, it is free to grow and take over the cell.
- Opines that the only way to slow down this pandemic from worsening, is for new antibiotics to be created, as resistance occurs in a natural process, meaning it will take time.
- Opines that antibiotic resistant infections will kill an extra 10 million people a year worldwide by 2050 unless more action is taken.
- Opines that these statistics cannot be considered accurate as they do not include the impact it would have on healthcare treatments if antibiotics no longer worked.
- Concludes that fleming's accidental discovery has had an immense impact on the lives of most humans worldwide for over half a century. extreme measures are needed to ensure that the power of antibiotic resistance bacteria starts to deteriorate.
- Explains that the discovery of penicillin—new insights after more than 75 years of clinical use.
- Cites walsh, f., kochanek, kd, murphy, and hoyert dl. superbugs kill'more than cancer'.
- Explains that cdc office of infectious diseases (oid) (2013). antibiotic resistance threats in the united states.
1606 wordsRead More - The Discovery and Development of Penicilinexplanatory essayRex, and Anderson. Wise antibiotic use in the age of drug resistance. New York: Cohen, 1997. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that penicillin has been overused since it was created. people overuse it by taking, or prescribing it in the wrong situations.
- Explains that penicillin has been considered a miracle drug by doctors ever since it was first used in 1942. however, the mass production and misuse of the drug has made it ineffective towards serious infections.
- Explains that penicillin has become increasingly ineffective towards bacteria since it was first introduced.
- Cites aldridge, susan, john parascandola, and jeffery sturchio. the discovery and development of penicillin.
- Describes hamblin, jacob, herdman, and jacob. "penicillin." science in the early twentieth century:an encyclopedia.
- Introduces lax, eric, levy, stuart b., porter, roy, and anderson. the greatest benefit to mankind: a medical history of humanity.
- Explains wainwright, milton, watson, stephanie, and white, william l., "the use of penicillin in surgical infections."
1385 wordsRead More - Antibiotic Resistance Essayopinionated essay“But how did it come to this?” you’re probably asking yourself. Humans may have been studying antibiotics, but so were bacteria – and they’ve b...
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they lay awake thinking about the future and the people they will never meet.
- Explains that alexander fleming discovered the first natural antibiotic: penicillin, which was effective against syphilis and infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci
- Explains that the who's first global report on antimicrobial resistance, released wednesday, says a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can kill, is real for the 21st century.
- Explains that estimates in the u.s. suggest 2 million people get antibiotic-resistance infections each year, and at least 23,000 die because current drugs no longer stop their infections. the who cannot provide global statistics because many countries have no estimates.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it.
- Opines that the trend of combating minor injuries with unnecessary interventions must stop.
- Opines that an untended cut or scrape may result in a stay at the hospital.
- Opines that if i've scared you to the point where are considering your options moving forward, bravo people. you're the ones that are going to make me slightly less concerned for human civilization.
- Opines that the body is a wondrous thing, capable of fighting off minor bacterial infections on their own.
- Advises the health care force to prescribe the right antibiotic to treat the illness. only prescribe and dispense antibiotics when they are truly needed.
- Urges policymakers to foster innovation, research and development of new tools, and promote cooperation and information sharing among stakeholders. this issue affects everyone on the globe, no matter the size of their wallet.
- Opines that if public health policy becomes as serious as it has the potential to become, our lives will fundamentally change. we must work together to solve this problem.
643 wordsRead More - Bacterial Resistance To Antibioticsexplanatory essayI am going to begin my paper by defining bacteria. The next step will be to define antibiotics. I will then continue by explaining the concept of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. I will focus on specific ways in which bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. I will continue with ideas of how to control the resistance. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing phenomenon that becomes more serious as more bacteria resist drugs. I will finish my paper by listing and explaining ideas that are being used now or will be used in the future in an attempt to control the problem of resistance.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they will begin their paper by defining bacteria, define antibiotics, and explain the concept of bacterial resistance. they will finish by listing and explaining ideas that are being used now or will be used in the future.
- Explains that bacteria are organisms that are made up of a single cell and live in and on our bodies.
- Explains that antibiotics, also known as antimicrobial agents, are used to destroy or halt the growth of bacteria. penicillin was the first antibiotic discovered by alexander fleming in 1928.
- Explains that antibiotics are used to target five major parts of the bacteria, including the cell wall, cell membrane, protein synthesis, dna and rna, and the folic acid metabolism.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that has been occurring since the use of antibiotics began. exposure to the antibiotic compounds are causing the bacteria to adapt to their environment.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance occurs through four different methods. the first method of resistance takes place when the target structure is modified, the second way that the bacteria become resistant to drugs comes from altering the method that is transferred into the cell.
- Explains that antibiotic use in agriculture has caused a transboarder resistance because the resistance starts in the animals and then is transferred to the human population.
- Explains that escherichia coli is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in agriculture. it is transmitted to humans through birds and fruits and vegetables.
- Explains that antibiotics are misused in many ways, which is a leading cause of bacterial resistance. patients and doctors contribute to the spreading of resistant bacteria.
- Explains that misdiagnosis leads to antibiotic resistance. prescribing antibiotics that aren't enough to kill bacteria lead to more resistant organisms. testing is needed to find out if the disease can be transmitted through the environment.
- Explains that poor sanitary practices in doctors' offices and hospital settings contribute to bacterial antibiotic resistance. poor sanitation practices, heavy antibiotic use, and contact with sick patients promote the spread of bacteria throughout the facilities.
- Explains that patients not complying with the appropriate instructions from their physicians contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance. patients pressure their doctors into giving them antibiotics to treat illnesses when it is not bacterial.
- Explains that antibiotic resistance can be controlled by reducing the amount of antibiotics prescribed and limiting the bacteria's resistance.
- Opines that education is another idea that is believed to stop the widespread antibiotic resistant bacteria. physicians need to be properly trained on the appropriate antibiotics, the correct dosage of drugs, and the best length of time that the patient should consume.
- Opines that international efforts are needed to control the problem of bacterial resistance in the united states and around the world.
1623 wordsRead More - The Antibiotic Paradox by Dr. Stuart Levyanalytical essayModern medicine claims to have their foot on the throat of the vast majority of bacterial infections, boasting a large arsenal of treatments for the infected patient. Antibiotic drugs have been the answer for the past century in combating once threatening bacterial illnesses. According to Dr. Stuart Levy, “an antibiotic, as we now know it, is a natural substance made by one microorganism that inhibits [or kills] growth of another microorganism” (33). When Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, the world between the world wars thought they were forever saved with the newfound defense against formerly deadly bacteria. The bliss would not last long however, because new strains of bacteria were forming against penicillin and other drugs that scientists and microbiologists were developing since the people consumed the newfound drugs feverishly. Doctors and people ignorantly and ineffectively use these drugs against viral infections and bacterial infections that cannot be treated. Today, with our most diverse cache of antibiotic drugs, it seems like bacteria is growing stronger against anything we throw at it. Why? Due to the overuse of antibiotics and ...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that drug-resistant bacteria sicken more than 2 million people in america each year and account for 23,00 deaths.
- Explains that leading health organizations are banding together to combat the issue of rising numbers of drug resistant strains of bacteria by approaching it with the human response.
- Opines that the fight against the overuse of antibiotics leads to more drug-resistant bacteria. dr. thompson's conclusion is that active participation in health care, preventative hygiene, and early detection and treatment of bacterial illnesses are all critical.
- Explains that antibiotics have been effective against bacterial infections since the world wars. they are bacteriocidal, killing germs outright, and preventing their reproduction.
- Argues that people are undereducated and overmedicated about the potential threat that looms with antibiotic use.
- Summarizes niaid's role in addressing antimicrobial resistance.
- Explains levy, stuart b., spellberg, brad. the global threat from deadly bacteria and our dwindling arsenal to fight them.
1766 wordsRead More