Hello, This is an draft for English 102, my final research paper is due in two weeks and I would really appreciate any feedback on my essay. It is approximately 2,200 words Thank You!
There are many things that humans have learned to overcome, but one of the biggest challenges is in the near future. The body is an amazing thing, it is able produce life, grow physically, and it has the astonishing power to heal itself under most circumstances. Many people do not fully understand the power of their own bodies and turn to antibiotics as a quick possible cure for their ailment, when all the while that decision could have major repercussions not only to their own immune system, digestive system and personal future health but it could affect the human race. Public Knowledge could assist in the prevention of an antibiotic resistance in understanding the intended use, repercussions of overuse, important of proper dosage and the approaching failure of antibiotics. This is beginning to be one of the largest problems not only affecting not only the United States but also throughout the world.
Education is the doorway to knowledge. Teaching patients the differences between viral infections and bacterial infections will help in deciding proper treatment. When most people start to feel sick with a cold or sore throat they automatically think the cure comes from the doctor's pen writing a prescription. Many times these are just viral infections that the human body can fight off by itself. Viral infections will remain unaffected by antibiotics and could
cause more harm to the immune system if taken improperly. A virus is an infection that needs to run its course and should not be treated with antibiotics as Teddi Johnson explains, "Some of the other common viral infections that shouldn't be treated with antibiotics are most coughs and bronchitis, sore throats -- except for strap throat -- and some ear infections"(Johnson, par.4). The human body is made to fight off viral infections, like a cold, flu, and chickenpox. Viral infections are typically contagious and should be treated with care.
The great thing about antibiotics is that the drug can kill or stop the spread of bacterial infections. Once again education about the variances of antibiotics is helpful; one drug may work for strep throat but not for a urinary tract infection. Treating a bacterial infection is often prescribed antibiotics, often a broad spectrum like amoxicillin and penicillin. Taking only drugs prescribed to you and taking the full prescription even if you start feeling better is important so the bacterial infection does not grow back. Antibiotics are used in hospitals in pre and post operational surgeries to help kill or slow the growth of bacteria. When possible ask for narrow spectrum antibiotics that are made to target specific bacterium and have greater success. Antibiotics have saved countless lives for centuries; many infections would result in death before the discovery of antibiotics. Now with proper medicine and treatment plan more patients are able to recover from minor surgeries to major surgeries like organ transplants. Without these lifesaving drugs many people would die from the post operation infections.
Just like the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This means the precautionary things you do now can prevent bigger problems latter. Washing your hands, is one of the most important actions a person can do to avoid a bacterial illness whether it is after using the restroom, handling raw meat or leaving the gym. Public areas are breeding grounds for bacteria to spread, so be cautious of places like the sporting events, the mall and
specially the gym. The author Marcia gives good advice by advising to "Be especially careful about hygiene in moist, sweaty environments, like gyms. Athletic locker rooms, including in major-league professional sports, have become breeding grounds for dangerous bugs like methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)" (Clemmit, 688). Keep a safe distance from those that you know are sick and if you are to become sick try to stay away from others. Prevention of contracting a bacterial infection is just as important as the antibiotic you may be prescribed to fight an infection.
Many doctors prescribe antibiotics whether the patient needs the drug or not and this could lead to many long term problems for the patient and for the public. The human body contains many good bacteria that help ward off illnesses and boost our immune system. This good bacterium is called gut flora, and is found in the intestines. The gut flora assists the human body in many ways; it helps in the absorption of nutrients, metabolic function, aids in a stronger immune system and protects the body from foreign organisms. Antibiotics kill or stop the spread of a bacterial infection; the problem is that the drug kills off the beneficial antibodies that the human body depends on to fight off an approaching illness. This is bad news for a person that is taking antibiotics unnecessarily.
The problem is not limited to doctors handing out prescriptions wrongfully; many times they feel pressured into obliging their patients instead of educating them on the differences between a viral infection and a bacterial infection. The best way to counteract the ongoing resistance is in in the hands of the consumer and the health care provider as Johnson explains, "Health care providers can curb the inappropriate use of antibiotics by not prescribing them for illnesses that the drugs don't treat, such as colds and flu. Decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use is the best way to control resistance" (Johnson, par. 10). This is where education for the general
public comes into light. Many doctors feel threatened not to fulfill their patients need out of fear of malpractice, losing them as a patient or misdiagnosis. Doctors and other health professions need to take a stand and refuse to dispense antibiotics when it is not needed and to educate those patients on the reasons why they do not need the drug and how overuse of antibiotics is causing a widespread problem.
The problem doesn't just pertain to the individuals taking antibiotics; it is now becoming one of the largest global health threats. There is no question that hospitals are a host to many bacterium's, the problem is that there are bacteria that is mutating and becoming resistant to even the strongest antibiotic drugs that currently exist. According to the article Fighting Superbugs, back in 1980 only three percent of hospital patients contracted resistant MRSA, this number skyrockets to sixty percent infected with MRSA in the year 2004(Clemmit, 687) Even under doctor's supervision a patient that is dealing with a resistant strain of bacteria may never fully be cured possibly because of overuse earlier in life. Our bodies become accustomed to the drug and a bacterium is able reproduce very quickly and because these bacteria are cells there is a chance that the bacteria can mutate especially if the bacterium has been previously exposed to antibiotics. Marcia explains that,
"Many resistant bacteria can pass on their resistance genes to other bacteria, even if they're of different species. Humans' guts are filled with harmless bacteria that can block antibiotics. That's no problem unless a disease-causing bug enters the gut. Then the harmless but resistant bugs may pass their resistance to the dangerous bacteria, making them resistant, too" (Clemmit, 688).
If antibiotics are taken improperly or administered for long periods of time this may contribute to the ineffectiveness of antibiotics and when this happens, many antibiotics fail. Germs are everywhere, touching the restroom door handle at the airport could put a person at risk for infection. People in airports are from all parts of the world and so are their bacteria. When the resistance to antibiotics gets even worse it will be felt not only will the United Stated but the entire world.
The effects of antibiotics failure can be seen and experienced universally. There are different factors that contribute to the global antibiotic resistance; some of these reasons are international traveling, a possible change in a health regimen and the food supply. There is a large controversy about the use of antibiotics in livestock and on crops. The good thing about using antibiotics is its keeps the food supply relatively safe from diseased animals and crops infested with bacteria. The reason that most livestock farmers use antibiotics is to fatten up the intended animal, and to treat and/or prevent disease. This could potentially be a deadly scenario. Just like antibiotic use in humans, if taken for long periods of time or inadequate doses then genetic mutation of the bacteria will result. These animals could carry resistant bacteria that can be spread to humans, as Joshua M. Sharfstein, a principal deputy commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration said, "You actually can trace the specific bacteria around and ... find that the resistant strains in humans match the resistant strains in the animals"(Scientific American, Par.3). This is becoming a very scary reality for the global population, many countries import and export livestock and crops. Contaminated meat and produce grown in the United States could very well end up in other parts of the world spreading the resistant bacteria.
The looming antibiotic resistance will have dangerous and deadly results not only the United States but also worldwide and learn the importance of coming together globally to find a
solution. Fighting off infections caused by surgeries and illnesses will prove harder to combat. Patients undergoing a major surgery like organ transplants could die not from the surgery itself but from an infection that could not be counteracted due to drug resistance bacteria. Infections like MRSA and Strep will increase in hospital infections and in the general public. Many infections like pneumonia and gonorrhea will become untreatable and will compromise the life expectancy of many normal healthy people as well as shorten the life span of a patient with immune deficiency.
A Drug resistant bacterium is not only a national issue but is a global issue that will require resources from experts around the world and changes in drug regulation. On the national level the United States government needs to step in and tighten regulations on the current use of antibiotics and secure the future use of such drugs and lighten the tight restrictions on the production of new drugs. Tax breaks for drug companies could be the answer if new antibiotics are discovered. But some infectious-disease experts are wary of suggesting that companies don't have enough financial incentives, and regulations on production need to loosen as Maria Clemmit explains that "Some infectious-disease experts are wary of suggesting that companies don't have enough financial incentives, or that the FDA should make it easier to get antibiotics approved."(Clemmit, par. 52) The problem is that new antibiotics are not easy to find, it takes an abundance of research and funding to create a new antibiotic. Researchers, scientists and governments throughout the world need to ban together to develop new antibiotics that will help insure the survival and health of mankind.
For many years the drug pipeline is a term for the antibiotics that are currently being researched. As the years have carried on less and less new antibiotic drugs are entering the pipeline. There are several factors of this decline. Some of these reasons are the lack of funding
to research and develop a new antibiotic could take anywhere from five to ten years or more. Many pharmaceutical companies do not want to spend their time and money on a drug that may not work and generally is only used for a week. There is too much profit in other medications like anti-depressants, heart medications, and other long term drugs. The government needs mandate the states to report infectious disease data, and regulate the dispersing of antibiotics. Author Charlotte Tucker explains in her article that "To combat the problem, the Infectious Diseases Society of America debuted its "10 x '20" initiative last year. The program calls for developing 10 new systemic antibacterial drugs by 2020" (Tucker, par. 20). This initiative will be a global effort call WHO or World Health Organization, some of the people are scientists and researchers working together to find more suitable antibiotics that can enter the pipeline. Even though there are many potential antibiotics in the pipeline, most of them are in the beginning phases of development.
The future of our health is in question. There might not be drugs available to fight off the evolving bacteria and the death toll could climb higher. Plagues and viral outbreaks might not be something that we read about in the history books. These stories may come to life yet again, but it will be much worse as out of control bacterial outbreaks throughout the world. Occasionally the human body needs help fighting off a bacterial infection and this is when antibiotics need to be prescribed, many times antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily, this is a growing problem not only in the United States but throughout the world that could lead to antibiotic resistance. Preparing for the possible future with bacterial resistance and more illness and disease could assist in making more educated decisions today. Learning that the decisions that we make pertaining to the antibiotic drugs we take can impact the longevity of our heath by building up our own resistance to the drugs. The future of antibiotics is in question, and sometimes there is little the consumer can do but prevent, prepare and educate.
