Repent, for the Antibiotic Apocalypse is Near!!!
āHistory shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man.ā
In 892 AD the Viking warrior Sigurd the Mighty defeated the Scottish nobleman Mael Brigte in battle. In celebration of his victory Sigurd strapped Maelās severed head onto his saddle, and rode around his army in triumph. Unfortunately Maelās large buck teeth scratched the side of Sigurdās leg, which became infected, leading to his death a few weeks later. Legend has it that famous whiskeyĀ distiller Jack Daniel died after kicking his floor safe, resulting in a cut on his toe which became infected, leading to his death in 1911. In 1912 inventor and aviator Wilbur Wright developed food poisoning after eating bad shellfish during a business trip. He died at the age of 45. Lord Carnarvon, chief financial backer of the Howard Carter expedition which discovered King Tutās tomb died in 1923 when a mosquito bite became infected resulting in sepsis. Modern myth has it that he was a victim of King Tutās curse. More likely he was a victim of living before the advent of modern medicine.
Such was the life of mankind before the invention of modern antibiotics. Every cut or wound could pose a serious risk. Diseases like pneumonia or strep throat could very well lead to death rather than just a few days of bed rest. In fact, much of modern medicine is built upon a foundation of antibiotics. This began in 1928 when the scientist Sir Alexander Fleming (pictured above) identified the first antibiotic, penicillin, after extracting the drug from a mold which had accidentally grown in the culture plates of an unrelated experiment. Since then a wide variety of antibiotics have been developed, allowing mankind to fight a winning war against the bacteria.Ā However, in recent times, the bacteria have been making a comeback.
While antibiotics are effective, it is only a matter of time before bacteria evolve and adapt to them, developing resistance. When an antibiotic is prescribed but discontinued too early, bacteria that have survived the antibiotic can become immune to itās effects. Those bacteria of course divide and reproduce, leading to a new strain of bacteria that is resistant to that antibiotic, making the antibiotic useless. A bacterium can even swap DNA with other bacteria, spreading the resistance further. Misuse of an antibiotics can also lead to resistance. For instance when an antibiotic is prescribed for the common cold, which is a virus and cannot be killed by an antibiotic. While eventually the immune system fights off the virus, the antibiotic effects the normal bacteria that makes up our bodily ecosystem, such as our gut bacteria or skin flora. An example of this the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. For the most part S. aureus lives in the our noses and skin without causing any problems. Itās pretty normal, around 1/3 of all Americans harbor S. aureus in their nostrils. Sometimes, S. aureus can cause minor skin or throat infections, and on rare occasions major infections such as pneumonia and meningitis. Due to the widespread availability of antibiotics, in the past few decades new strains of S. aureus have recently developed, called methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or as itās better known, MRSA.
Antibiotic resistance is not a new phenomenon, only a few years after the discovery of penicillin, antiobiotic resistant strains began to be identified. Alexander Fleming himself remarked,
āThe time may come when penicillin can be bought by anyone in the shops. Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily under-dose himself and by exposing his microbes to nonlethal quantities of the drug make them resistant.ā
Therein lies the problem, rather than being treated like a precious and limited resources, antibiotics have been overused and misused as a miracle cure-all. As someone in healthcare Iāve seen many times where physicians will be deluded into thinking that because a drug or treatment works exceptionally well for one thing, it must likewise work well for other things. This results in the physician prescribing the drug like its some kind magical elixir, when in fact itāsĀ completely unnecessary and am ineffective misapplication of the drug.Ā Antibiotics are no different. Antibiotics are prescribed for viral infections such influenza, most forms of bronchitis, or the common cold even though they only kill bacteria and parasites, not viruses.Ā Sometimes, a really sick patient in the hospital will be prescribed an antibiotic in case the illness is a bacterial infection, but when the lab results come back revealing itās not, the patient will continue to be prescribed the antibioticĀ ājust in caseā.Ā When I was a teenager I was even prescribed amoxicillin for acne. Yes, for acne! Much of it is the fault of the patient. Decades of antibiotic proliferation have created a culture where people believe that antibiotics are a cure for anything. Back in the day, when you were sick, you went to a doctor for an antibiotic. Now patientās demand antibiotics for any and all illnesses believing they are a miracle cure for everything. Finally there is the 800 lb gorilla in the room; the heavy use of antibiotics for livestock, which accounts for as much use as with humans. More and more, antibiotics have become less and less effective in agriculture creating both antibiotic resistance animal and human strains of bacteria.
In the past three decades, the problem has become a critical issue, with antibiotic strains of diseases plaguing our healthcare system. Research in new antibiotics has failed to keep up, as our current pharmacopoeia becomes less and less effective. If nothing changes, the only prospect for our near future is theĀ āAntibitioic Apocalypseā, the time when most or all of our antibiotics will be useless.Ā In essence, modern medicine will be knocked back to the days of Sigurd the Mighty. Millions will die from common diseases such as pneumonia. Immunocompromised patients such as cancer patients and AIDS patients will be at risk of infection. Tuberculosis, once considered a 19th century disease, will become common again. Routine surgery could become seriously dangerous with the added risk of untreatable infections. Even simple acts like shaving or parading the decapitated heads of your slain enemies could result in death.Ā
Fortunately there are things that you, the average person, can do to stave off the Antibiotic Apocalypse. Donāt ask or demand antibiotics for the sniffles or the coughies. You wonāt believe the hordes of people that come into the ER with stuff like the common cold when in reality professional treatment was never really needed. Drink plenty of fluids, get some rest, eat your fruits and veggies and youāll probably be OK.Ā Stop your doctor from needlessly prescribing antibiotics.Ā If your doc is prescribing you antibiotics for something other than a bacterial infection or parasite, most likely it is a misapplication of the drug. If you do have an antibiotic, take it until the prescription is done to ensure the infection is completely eradicated. Either that, or ask your doctor if discontinuation is possible.
Do this, or the bacteria will winā¦
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