Huge leap in drug-resistant bacteria affects kids

[snoop1130]

Huge leap in drug-resistant bacteria affects kids

By The Nation

 

 

Drug resistance for some types of antibiotics among Thai children has jumped by more than 30 times over a period of 10 years, according to a 2011 report by the Public Health Ministry.
 

Asst Professor Niyada Kiatying-Angsulee, who heads the Thai Drug Watch Centre, said Thursday that the main cause of the problem is giving children unnecessary drugs.

 

“For example, most cases of cold are a result of a virus but children are prescribed antibiotics that kill bacteria,” she said.

 

According to her, another common cause of resistance is young patients who stop taking their antibiotic drugs, or fail to complete the whole dosage after symptoms disappear. 

 

“As well, if you start with strong antibiotics, any weaker medicines won’t help later on,” she explained. 

 

Niyada advised parents to not press doctors into prescribing antibiotics to their ill children.

 

“You may think that those medicines will give your children a quick recovery – but that may hurt them in the long run,” she said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30321998

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-7-27

[YetAnother]

35 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Niyada advised parents to not press doctors into prescribing antibiotics to their ill children.

i see, so the parents are the real doctors, bad idea

[overherebc]

19 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

i see, so the parents are the real doctors, bad idea

Standard practice here to give anti-biotics to someone with a common cold.

Anti-biotics have no effect on colds and one tablet a day for two days is usual and very wrong. I know expats who do the same thing.

[inactiveposter]

Was the photographer making a statement with the photo? Unfortunate placement of the picture behind her.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[nausea]

 

"According to her, another common cause of resistance is young patients who stop taking their antibiotic drugs, or fail to complete the whole dosage after symptoms disappear."

 

On the other hand:

 

"It is time to reconsider the widespread advice that people should always complete an entire course of antibiotics, experts in the BMJ say.They argue there is not enough evidence to back the idea that stopping pills early encourages antibiotic resistance. Instead, they suggest, more studies need to be done to see if other strategies - such as stopping once feeling better - can help cut antibiotic use." (BBC News).

[tso310]

Didn't a delegation of EU medics visit in February to ask Thailand to stop over prescribing drugs. The first cases of untreatable gonnorhea have reportedly now been found.

[gwynt]

There is also the problem of farmers feeding pigs food laced with antibiotics which aids in the build up of resistance when the drug is prescribed. Plus on the one occasion I needed antibiotics I was given 1000mg tablets?? I halved them which worked fine.