Warning Bells

About a week back, we got a rude shock when one of our patients with a laboratory diagnosis of bacterial meningitis did not respond to our routine choice of Ceftriaxone. And to our horror, responded so well to Piperacillin-Tazobactum. 

Yes, I would have purists who would say that Crystalline Penicilline and Chloramphenicol should have been tried. Unfortunately, both these antibiotics are quite labour intensive and with the shortage of competent staff we have, it’s quite a challenge.

Now, there has been quite mind-boggling research going on in the area of antibiotics.

However, I’m sure that unless we are prudent in the usage of antibiotics, how much ever research we do, nothing much is going to change.

But, today I was quite surprised to find a news item about the dangers of unscrupulous use of antibiotics. 

I hope our communities and quacks would take note . . . However, I wonder who is going to rein in the pharmaceutical companies and their representatives . . .

Crocodile Tears

Yesterday, I happened to read an article about Antibiotic Resistance . . . 

Almost the same time, I also had one medical representative come to me to advertise rather 'teach' me on modern antibiotic usage. 

I had told our Medical Representatives about how we use Septran, Ampicillin and Gentamycin to amazing results. It was only because of rampant use of Ceftriaxone outside that we have been forced to use in our treatment. 

Now, he told me about the better antibiotics available which were sure shots at infection. 

The drugs he told me . . . 

1. Cefixime + Clavulanate Potassium

2. Cefixime + Ofloxacin

3. Cefixime + Azithromycin

4. Cefixime + Ornidazole

5. Cefotaxim + Sulbactum

I wonder if we will achieve quite with regard to antibiotic resistance if all these newer antibiotics are brought under some sort of government regulation. 

There is no point crying about antibiotic resistance if pharmaceutical companies go around advertising about the benefits of these new antibiotics. 

In disadvantaged communities and impoverished populations where quacks are more popular than doctors and even among doctors, those who practice evidence based medicine is a minority compared to those who believe that they should be writing the latest medicines available in the market, be it antibiotics or anything else . . . it would need a miracle to stop antibiotic resistance . . . 

And that could spell doom to many a poor family . . .