Question

I am Writting an arugment paper on Over use of antibiotics has made people more prone to developing infections due to the building of tolerance and the suppression of one’s own immune system. Also The lack of advancement in antibiotic therapy in the past couple decades. I need Revision and Suggestions on my (counter-argument/ the other view of the argument). This is what i have.

Over use of antibiotics has made people more prone to developing infections due to the building of tolerance and the suppression of one’s own immune system. “Inappropriate use of antibiotics in primary care and hospital settings is a major contributing factor to the spread of antibiotic resistance” (Amaha, 2). Hospitals have been overusing and over prescribing antibiotics. In the results of this article, 79% of the patients were using some sort of antibiotics. Majority of the time patients are prescribed it, but were not taking the required steps to receive it. “Some causes for inappropriate drug use in hospitalized patients are; unnecessary drug use of antibiotic, inadequate regulation and monitoring, inappropriate doses, and multiple antibiotic prescribing” (Amaha, 2). Ampicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic. Some of it was even being prescribed using generic names. There can be many consequences of the abuse of antibiotics, for example the bacteria developing a resistance to the antibiotic. “About 70% of hospital-acquired bacterial infections are resistant to at least one antibiotic” (Amaha, 2). Patients would receive one, two, or even three antibiotics at the same time. A study that was conducted in Orotto national referral hospital in Asmara found that most of the bacterial isolates tested were resistant to several antibiotics. The over use of it was so bad patients would be taking the drug for over 14 days. When patients were taking the drugs for so long they would eventually be therapeutically monitored. It would be over prescribed and over used that it would be out of stock several times of the year. “The data on hospital indicators showed key antibiotics were out of stock on average for 78 days” (Amaha, 5). When key drugs were scarce prescribers are forced to make less appropriate drug choices with high cost and more risk of side effects and antibiotic resistance. Hospitals are now trying to keep an indicator to keep track of the antibiotic epidemic.

            The lack of advancement in antibiotic therapy in the past couple decades. A wide range of biochemical and physiological mechanisms may be responsible for resistance of microorganisms. In the specific case of antimicrobial agents, the complexity of the processes that contribute to emergence and destruction of resistance cannot be overemphasized, and the lack of basic knowledge on these topics is one of the primary reasons that there has been so little significant achievement in the effective prevention and control of resistance development.” Many resolutions and recommendations have been propounded, and numerous reports have been written, but to no avail: the development of antibiotic resistance is relentless” (Davies, 2). Antibiotics has saved countless lives, but the wonder drugs have been accompanied by the rapid appearance of resistance strains. “Medical pundits are now warning of a return to the preantibiotic era; a recent database lists the existence of more than 20,000 potential resistance genes (r genes) of nearly 400 different types, predicted in the main from available bacterial genome sequences” (Davies, 2). Chemist and pharmaceutical industries are studying more on the mechanism of resistance and are trying different ways to synthesize a drug to combat it. “The total synthesis of such natural products in the laboratory is difficult, since these small molecules are often extremely complex in functionality and chirality” (Davies, 2). Studies with these compounds have often shown unexpected nonantibiotic effects that indicate a variety of other biological activities; the result has been a significant number of additional therapeutic applications of “antibiotics” as antiviral, antitumor, or anticancer agents. the colossal need for these valuable drugs has had a significant environmental downside. In the 60 years since their introduction, millions of metric tons of antibiotics have been produced and employed for a wide variety of purposes. The planet is saturated with these toxic agents and has a contribution to the resistant agents. “The development of generations of antibiotic-resistant microbes and their distribution in microbial populations throughout the biosphere are the results of many years of unremitting selection pressure from human applications of antibiotics, via underuse, overuse, and misuse.” (Davies, 3). This was not a natural process but a man-made situation that was imposed on nature. This is just another example of Darwin’s notion of selection and survival.

Answer 1

Over use of antibiotics which is avoidable--------------The use of antimicrobial substances in building materials and personal care products has contributed to a higher percentage of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the indoor environment, where humans spend a large majority of their lives (Hartmann, Erica; Hickey, Roxana; Hsu, Tiffany; Roman, Clarisse; Chen, Jing; Schwager, Randall; Kline, Jeff; Brown, G.; Halden, Rolf; Huttenhower, Curtis; Green, Jessica (September 20, 2016). "Antimicrobial Chemicals Are Associated with Elevated Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Indoor Dust Microbiome". Environmental Science & Technology. 50 (18): 9807–9815. )

Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain infections caused by bacteria. We rely on antibiotics to treat serious infections, such as pneumonia, and life-threatening conditions including sepsis, the body’s extreme response to an infection. Effective antibiotics are also needed for people who are at high risk for developing infections. Some of those at high risk for infections include patients undergoing surgery, patients with end-stage kidney disease, or patients receiving cancer therapy

Inefficiency of antibiotics-------------Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections such as the common cold. They are also ineffective against sore throats, which are usually viral and self-resolving. ( Little P, Gould C, Williamson I, Warner G, Gantley M, Kinmonth AL (August 1997). "Reattendance and complications in a randomised trial of prescribing strategies for sore throat: the medicalising effect of prescribing antibiotics". BMJ. 315 (7104): 350–2. doi:10.1136/bmj.315.7104.350. PMC 2127265. PMID 9270458)

When are antibiotics necessary-------- It's tempting to stop taking an antibiotic as soon as you feel better. But the full treatment is necessary to kill the disease-causing bacteria. Failure to take an antibiotic as prescribed can result in the need to resume treatment later and may promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant properties among harmful bacteria.