Lancet Report on Antibiotics Overuse

Source- This post on Lancet Report on Antibiotics Overuse is based on the article “Lancet alert on popping antibiotics: One-third of India’s 30 lakh sepsis deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance” published in Indian Express on 17th September 2024.

Why in News?

According to a recent Lancet study, 60% of the 29.9 lakh sepsis deaths in India in 2019 were caused by bacterial infections.  Of these, 2.9 lakh sepsis deaths were directly attributed to AMR.

About Sepsis

1. Sepsis occurs when the immune system reacts dangerously to a bacterial infection. This potentially leads to organ failure without treatment.

2. Sepsis Deaths in India: Lower respiratory infections accounted for 27% of sepsis deaths in India. Among children under five, streptococcus pneumoniae was the deadliest bacterial infection.

About Antimicrobial resistance

1. Antimicrobial resistance- It occurs when microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) become resistant to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics). As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.

2. Global Trends in AMR- Globally, deaths from methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has more than doubled.

3. AMR in India- India’s most prevalent drug-resistant bacteria includes E. coli which causes gut infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae which causes pneumonia and urinary tract infections and Acinetobacter baumannii which commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections

Read More- Increasing Antimicrobial Resistance in India- Explained Pointwise

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