Children's antibiotic resistance is increasing

 

Children's antibiotic resistance is increasing

Although the best course of treatment for children is still antibiotics, their efficacy is declining. How harmful is it for kids to be resistant to antibiotics?

Antibiotics are often administered for children with bacterial infections causing meningitis, sepsis, or ear infections. However, a new study by the University of Sydney revealed that the efficacy of many of the antibiotics examined was less than 50%. 

Antibiotic resistance, which occurs when bacteria lose their ability to respond to antibiotic therapy, was given credit for this. Over the past 15 years, antibiotic resistance has increased globally. Nevertheless, novel and efficacious therapies remain to be discovered.

Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of antibiotic resistance. They may fend off infections less effectively as long as their immune systems are still developing.

Adhering to the recommended dosage schedule and selecting the appropriate antibiotic kind are crucial for treating infections with one of these medications. For infants and toddlers, who frequently take antibiotics in the form of syrup, that's easier said than done. All things considered, it is comparatively easier to get a tiny child to down a spoonful of sugary liquid than it is to get them to swallow a hard tablet.

Antibiotics: Your go-to treatment

When a bacterial infection is serious, antibiotics are the recommended course of therapy. They can stop bacterial growth and reproduction or eliminate bacterial cells, and they work fast—up to 48 hours for a given effect.

Many babies and kids get ear infections at some point in their lives. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, ear infections are a common and global illness that affect children everywhere.

Mucous membrane swelling is a common side effect of middle ear infections, particularly in the vulnerable eustachian, or auditory tubes that connect to the throat. Little children may experience severe discomfort as pressure builds up on the eardrum due to obstruction of these tubes, which prevents mucus from draining out. Antibiotics frequently provide quick relief.

Exist any medications besides antibiotics?

Most specialists concur that there aren't any trustworthy substitutes as of yet. Antimicrobial herbs and home cures can be used in addition to medical treatments for specific infections. While sleeping with an onion in a sock is a traditional home cure for ear infections, saline solutions can occasionally aid with respiratory infections.

Antibiotics remain the best and most dependable option, though. Sepsis cases and cases of blood poisoning, for example, need to be treated right away. Untreated patients may get septic shock, which can lead to organ failure and ultimately death.

Sepsis may result from an exterior wound in which bacteria enter the lymphatic or blood vessels. If they are not treated, they might spread to other parts of the body and result in a medical emergency. Such cases, however, are uncommon.

Correct diagnosis must come first.

Viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics; only bacterial infections can. For this reason, making the right diagnosis is crucial to delivering the right treatment.

Particularly concerning is the situation in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. 

This emphasizes how important a correct diagnosis is. Accurate identification of pathogens is necessary to determine their treatment susceptibility and to give an antibiotic with the smallest feasible spectrum.