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European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2014

European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2014. Dr Berit Muller-Pebody HCAI & AMR Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. What are antibiotics?. Medicines that can kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria to cure infections in people, animals and sometimes plants

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European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2014

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  1. European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2014 Dr Berit Muller-Pebody HCAI & AMR Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control

  2. What are antibiotics? • Medicines that can kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria to cure infections in people, animals and sometimes plants • Medicines for bacterial infections and are not effective against viruses • There are more than 15 different classes of antibiotics that differ in their chemical structure and their action against bacteria

  3. Viruses versus bacteriaAs different as giraffes and goldfish…. • BUT • Sometimes difficult to determine whether bacteria or viruses are causing an illness • Some illnesses — such as pneumonia, meningitis or diarrhoea — can be caused by either viruses or bacteria

  4. Bacteria • Single-celled microorganisms that thrive in many different types of environments • Some bacteria live in people's intestines and help digest food • Most bacteria cause no harm to people, but there are exceptions. • Infections caused by bacteria include: • Throat infections • Urinary tract infections • Tuberculosis

  5. Viruses • Viruses are even smaller than bacteria and require living hosts — otherwise, they can't survive • When a virus enters a human, animal or plant, it invades some of the cells and takes over the cell machinery, redirecting it to produce the virus • Infections caused by viruses include: • Flu • Common cold • Chickenpox • Measles

  6. What is antibiotic resistance? • Some bacteria are naturally resistant to certain antibiotics (intrinsic resistance) • Some bacteria become resistant as a result of genetic changes (acquired resistance) • Resistant bacteria survive antibiotic treatment and continue to multiply causing longer illness or even death • Infections caused by resistant bacteria may require longer care and more expensive antibiotics

  7. What is the most important cause of antibiotic resistance? • Antibiotic resistance is a natural occurrence caused by mutations in genes in bacteria causing infections • When exposed to antibiotics, susceptible bacteria are killed and resistant bacteria can continue to grow and multiply • These resistant bacteria may spread and cause infections in other people who have not taken any antibiotics • Inappropriate use of antibiotics accelerates the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

  8. What is ‘inappropriate’ use of antibiotics? • Using antibiotics when they are not needed • Infection is caused by a virus and not a bacteria (e.g. cold and flu) • Antibiotics are not painkillers - use other medicines such as calpol, lemsip… • Storing antibiotics for future use – antibiotics should always be prescribed by a doctor who has examined you

  9. Not using antibiotics properly • Stopping treatment early • Missing doses • you won’t have enough drug in your body and the bacteria will survive and may become resistant

  10. Why is antibiotic resistance a problem? • Antibiotics commonly used are no longer effective • May delay the right antibiotic treatment • May result in complications, including death • Patient may need longer care and more expensive antibiotics • Emergence of new bacterial strains resistant to several antibiotics at the same time (known as multidrug-resistant bacteria) • → may eventually become resistant to all existing antibiotics • Very few new antibiotics in the pipeline

  11. Is it really that serious? • In the future, without effective antibiotics, we could return to the “pre-antibiotic era” • organ transplants • cancer chemotherapy • intensive care • Bacterial diseases would spread and could no longer be treated

  12. What can be done to solve the problem? • Remember: Keeping antibiotics effective is everyone’s responsibility! • Antibiotics won’t work in cases of cold or flu, so don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics • Take antibiotics responsibly

  13. Public Engagement 18 November: European Antibiotic Awareness Day E-Bug for school children

  14. Raising awarenessEast and North Hertfordshire CCG

  15. Become an antibiotic guardian todayhttp://antibioticguardian.com/

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