Intestinal diseases Antibiotics increasingly without effect - doctors go out drugs

Extremely resistant intestinal bacteria are spreading strongly
The improper and frivolous administration of antibiotics results in a drastic increase of resistant pathogen strains. Only a prudent use of antibiotics can protect patients, family members and the population from such resistant pathogens, according to the University of Freiburg.

A Europe-wide study, published in the journal "The Lancet Infectious Diseases", has shown that extremely resistant intestinal bacteria are spreading dramatically, according to the Freiburg University Hospital. Such infections are no longer treatable even with the so-called reserve antibiotics and "doctors then have no further means to help their patients," said Professor. Hajo Grundmann, Coordinator of the study and Head of the Department of Infection Prevention and Hospital Hygiene at the University Medical Center Freiburg.

Extremely resistant intestinal bacteria, against which even reserve antibiotics do not help, continue to spread according to a recent study. (Image: jarun011 / fotolia.com)

According to a report from the University of Freiburg, the study was conducted in collaboration with 455 centers in 35 countries of the European Community as well as Iceland, Norway, Israel and Turkey. It has been shown that "especially in Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, but also in Italy, Portugal and Spain" extremely resistant intestinal bacteria are increasingly on the rise.

Infections even with reserve antibiotics untreatable
Although Germany occupies only the midfield in the study and is on the 16th place in the table when comparing the infection numbers, reports Professor. Grundmann. However, the fact that in Germany more than a third of these infections can not be treated even with sophisticated combinations of so-called reserve antibiotics, is quite worrying. The negative trend is causing concern in hospitals and especially in university hospitals, where many critically ill people are treated.

Countermeasures required
The propagation of extremely resistant pathogens, according to the experts urgently requires comprehensive countermeasures. In Freiburg, for example, admission screening will be consistently extended to patients who have already been treated in hospitals in Germany or abroad before admission, reports Prof. Dr. med. Grundmann. Only in this way can one "fight against this epidemic without new and effective antibiotics."

Never use antibiotics recklessly
The experts emphasize that antibiotics should never be taken without a medical indication. For example, most colds and flu illnesses would be caused by viruses, against which antibiotics are basically ineffective. The application in such cases has no positive influence on the condition, as antibiotics neither reduce fever nor relieve the cold symptoms, such as sneezing, says Prof. Dr. med. Grundmann. However, any improper use increases the risk of developing resistant pathogen strains. (Fp)