Antibiotic Resistance Rears Its Ugly Head--Again
In the past couple of years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has received significant media attention as a prime example of a “superbug” and a somber case study of antibiotic resistance. An abundance of hospital-acquired cases put the healthcare community on alert, and although the problem of resistance remains a threat, hospitals have taken important steps to decrease the number of MRSA cases.
But MRSA isn’t the only healthcare-acquired antibiotic-resistant bacterium with which we must be concerned. This New York Times article discusses the danger presented by Clostridium difficile. C. diff, the article explains, is not only resistant to antibiotics; it’s encouraged by them. When a patient takes antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, for example, the drug wipes out the infection—along with some of the good bacteria that’s supposed to be in our guts. Then, if the patient comes into contact with C. diff, the bacteria are able to flourish in the altered stomach environment.
Hopefully, as the mainstream media continue to cover these important stories, clinicians and patients alike will establish a level of awareness of the harmful effects of overuse of antibiotics.