The lead story, “Drug-resistant bug causes worry” (Nov.29), was apt. More lives are lost due to multi-organ failure caused by sepsis in intensive care units than to natural calamities. When the subject of the ‘Delhi Bug’ was raised a few years ago, it resulted in a hue and cry and a spate of denials; no action. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella is seen in almost 80 per cent of cultures in ICUs and even among ordinarily admitted patients in hospitals. This problem has persisted for more than a couple of years now.
Drug-resistant Klebsiella has colonised many hospitals. This is because of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in regular medical practice as well as in poultry and cattle. Even a single course of a simple antibiotic like azithromycin has been shown to alter intestinal protective bacteria for almost six months. The general public should be discouraged from taking antibiotics for common ailments such as fever, cold and diarrhoea. Similarly, antibiotic usage in hospitals should be curtailed, and positive cultures without symptoms should not be treated. The lowest antibiotic should be tried. As in the West, antibiotic prescriptions should be audited.
Dr. Rajan Ravichandran,
Chennai
Original article Link
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/drugresistant-pathogen/article7930347.ece#.Vlu4dazeNiM.email
