Li Dan, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Characteristic Medical Center (formerly 306 Hospital).
Edited by Liu Yan/Cui Yan, Medical Science Popularization Center
There is a close and complex relationship between the use of antibiotics and the development of resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are important drugs used to treat and prevent bacterial infections, and they work by inhibiting the growth, reproduction, or directly killing bacteria. However, with the widespread use of antibiotics, the emergence and evolution of drug-resistant bacteria has gradually become an increasingly serious problem.
Effect of antibiotics on drug-resistant bacteria
(1) Selection pressure: The use of antibiotics exerts selection pressure on bacterial populations. In environments where antibiotics are present, those bacteria with resistance mechanisms are more likely to survive and continue to multiply, resulting in a gradual increase in the proportion of resistant bacteria.
(2) Genetic mutation: Bacteria have a high ability of genetic variation. The use of antibiotics may contribute to the development of genetic mutations in bacteria, some of which may confer resistance traits in bacteria.
(3) Acquisition and propagation of drug-resistant genes: Antimicrobial resistance genes can be horizontally transferred between bacteria through mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons, which accelerates the spread and evolution of drug-resistant bacteria. In addition, genetic recombination between bacteria may also lead to the spread and fusion of resistance genes.
(4) Promoting antibiotic abuse: Unreasonable antibiotic use, such as overuse, wrong dosage or course of treatment, will further accelerate the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria. The widespread use of antibiotics, not only in medicine, but also in agriculture and animal husbandry, may also contribute to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria.
Effect of drug-resistant bacteria on antibiotic use
(1) Increased treatment challenges: The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria makes the original effective antibiotics ineffective, resulting in the difficulty of infection treatment. Patients infected with drug-resistant bacteria may be at risk of treatment failure, with a much increased likelihood of exacerbation or even death.
(2) Increased risk of disease transmission: The spread of drug-resistant bacteria may trigger a wider epidemic of infection, posing a threat to public health security.
(3) Rising medical costs: The need for more advanced and expensive antibiotics or other treatments leads to an increase in medical costs.
Response
The use of antibiotics and the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria are a dynamic process, and there is a balanced relationship between the two. The evolution rate of antibiotic resistance of different bacteria may be different, and the environmental factors in which bacteria are located, such as the host immune system and microbial community, often affect the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In life, you need to follow your doctor's advice, use antibiotics correctly, and avoid abuse; standardize the prescription and use of antibiotics to reduce unnecessary use; strengthen the monitoring of drug-resistant bacteria, and detect the emergence and spread of drug-resistant bacteria in a timely manner; Continuously explore new drugs and therapeutic strategies to meet the challenges of drug-resistant bacteria; At the same time, healthcare facilities and medical personnel also have a responsibility to strengthen infection control and prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
In conclusion, the relationship between the use of antibiotics and the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria is a complex and interacting relationship. A deeper understanding of this relationship is essential to develop effective strategies to address the challenge of resistant bacteria. Through comprehensive measures such as rational use of antibiotics, strengthening infection control management, surveillance and drug research and development, it is possible to slow down the emergence and spread of drug-resistant bacteria and protect public health.
(The picture comes from the Internet)