1,000 antibiotics adjust their format to the exact dose
Since 2012, the formats of the antibiotics they have been transformed in Spain to adjust the doses to the treatment that the patient needs. The objective of the Ministry of Health is to rationalize the use of antibiotics to avoid resistance, a growing trend on which we want to raise awareness among the population, especially today, which commemorates the European Day for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics.
The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a threat to public health worldwide because the spread of mutations of bacteria that could not be fought with antibiotics would prevent important medical advances such as complex surgery, organ transplants or administration. of chemotherapy.
Each year, 25,000 people die in Europe as a direct result of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which also generate an economic impact of 1,500 million euros, according to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and the European Medicines. If the growing trend of resistance to antibiotics is not curbed, in 35 years the number of deaths from this cause could reach 390,000 a year in Europe, some 40,000 in Spain.
6 strategic lines to fight against antibiotic resistance
Surveillance, control, prevention, research, training and communication are the strategic lines from which one must strive for a global approach to the problem in the context of a "Single Health" in which human health and health converge. animal health
According to the AEMPS, 2 out of 3 Spaniards mistakenly think that antibiotics are active against the flu and 8 percent of the population consumes them without medical prescription. These data place us as the fifth country in the EU with the highest consumption.
Regarding the monitoring and control of antibiotic consumption, different initiatives have been carried out. To facilitate control, common quantitative and qualitative indicators have been agreed upon for the collection of antibiotic consumption data in primary care.
Recommendations for doctors
Most of the actions are aimed at health professionals because it is worrisome that currently half of hospitalized patients receive antibiotics and 8 percent of those hospitalized have an infection related to health care.
Prepare a list of rapid diagnostic tests to determine the prescription of antibiotics or the structure of equipment optimizing the use of antibiotics in hospitals and primary care are some of the most immediate measures.
And, of the 15 new antibiotics in the clinical trial phase, only 4 are active against certain multiresistant bacteria.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
