Human resistance to antibiotics could end modern medicine

[Halb]

"Human resistance to antibiotics could bring "the end of modern medicine as we know it", WHO claim"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/91474...

Any thoughts?

[Manks]

Halb said:

"Human resistance to antibiotics could bring "the end of modern medicine as we know it", WHO claim"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/91474...

Any thoughts?

Depending upon whether "modern medicine" can be defined as "medicine using antibiotics" and whilst I am no expert I strongly suspect that there is more to modern medicine than that.

[ewenm]

"Human resistance"? It's not the humans who have become resistant to antibiotics. Surely they mean "pathogen resistance"?

[tank slapper]

Manks said:

Depending upon whether "modern medicine" can be defined as "medicine using antibiotics" and whilst I am no expert I strongly suspect that there is more to modern medicine than that.

Much of what is done in modern medicine relies on antibiotics. Think how risky even minor surgery would become if it were not possible to treat any infection that occurs.

This problem is only going to get worse, as the rate at which resistance is growing is faster than our ability to develop new drugs.

[Simpo Two]

ewenm said:

"Human resistance"? It's not the humans who have become resistant to antibiotics. Surely they mean "pathogen resistance"?

Yes, the word 'human' was added by the OP

[Halb]

Simpo Two said:

Yes, the word 'human' was added by the OP

It was not. I copied and pasted, as I always do with titles.

[Simpo Two]

Most odd, the title as I see it (and did at 17.14) says 'Resistance to antibiotics could bring "the end of modern medicine as we know it", WHO claim'.

Can only assume the Telegraph corrected it before 17.14.

[ewenm]

To support the OP, the original report I saw on the link posted this morning did have the silly title.

[Steffan]

Simpo Two said:

Most odd, the title as I see it (and did at 17.14) says 'Resistance to antibiotics could bring "the end of modern medicine as we know it", WHO claim'.

Can only assume the Telegraph corrected it before 17.14.

Either way I doubt the veracity of the suggestions.

There will new drugs developed to replace the pathogen resistant forerunners.

A reduction in over prescription would be good.

But this has been forecast before several times.

Scaremongering is unproductive.

The developed nations are steadily lengthening the lifespan and life expectancy of individuals. Health is generally better.

If you want something to worry about or focus on, I would have thought Atmospheric pollution, Climate change and the steady ruining of our maritime sealife would be much more productive.

But I think those are also oversold. I certainly hope so.

[R300will]

There will be new drugs developed to tackle the pathogens that become resistant to the current ones. It would be a lot less common though if people took their full course of treatment rather than stopping when they felt better. Tits.

[Mr Sparkle]

When a pathogen evolves resistance to a number of drugs is it not likely that in evolving this resistance it would lose resistance to older drugs that had been superseded?

[davepoth]

It would also help if farmers worldwide were banned from giving prophylactic courses of antibiotics to their herds. And yes, I did have to look up the spelling of prophylactic.

[Rollin]

R300will said:

There will be new drugs developed to tackle the pathogens that become resistant to the current ones. It would be a lot less common though if people took their full course of treatment rather than stopping when they felt better. Tits.

Lazy practitioners should "just say no" to unqualified, demanding patients.

[R300will]

Rollin said:

R300will said:

There will be new drugs developed to tackle the pathogens that become resistant to the current ones. It would be a lot less common though if people took their full course of treatment rather than stopping when they felt better. Tits.

Lazy practitioners should "just say no" to unqualified, demanding patients.

and that^^^^

[Simpo Two]

Mr Sparkle said:

When a pathogen evolves resistance to a number of drugs is it not likely that in evolving this resistance it would lose resistance to older drugs that had been superseded?

Good question; it would depend on the mode of action of the antibiotic.

I wouldn't count on it.

[R300will]

Mr Sparkle said:

When a pathogen evolves resistance to a number of drugs is it not likely that in evolving this resistance it would lose resistance to older drugs that had been superseded?

not neccessarily as the mutation causing the resistance can be passed from one bacteria to another via things called plasmids, and get incorporated into the DNA of the bacteria further along than resistance genes for older drugs. I suppose after a few thousand years of never seeing penicillin or any penicillin derivative they might become succeptable again. There are viruses that target bacteria i think we should engineer our own form then we could have a smart weapon with limited side effects.

[Simpo Two]

R300will said:

There are viruses that target bacteria i think we should engineer our own form then we could have a smart weapon with limited side effects.

Bacteriophages, lovely little lunar-module things. But headlines like 'GM viruses in human bug battle' is going to terrify the punters...

[Funkateer]

Simpo Two said:

R300will said:

There are viruses that target bacteria i think we should engineer our own form then we could have a smart weapon with limited side effects.

Bacteriophages, lovely little lunar-module things. But headlines like 'GM viruses in human bug battle' is going to terrify the punters...

I'd prefer phage medecine to antibiotics anyday!

[MilnerR]

Simpo Two said:

Bacteriophages, lovely little lunar-module things. But headlines like 'GM viruses in human bug battle' is going to terrify the punters...

Currently used in Georgia (Russia), with reasonable success. Issues with patent protection, as well as the need for mixtures of phage to combat multiple bacterial species involved in an infection, means that safety testing would be difficult. Most pharma are happy to continue thrashing the small molecule approach, rather that try and develop phage approaches that might be impossible to get approved, or not net them exclusive sales. That's before we have to sell the idea to patients!

In reply to another poster; blaming patients for not finishing courses is a bit disingenuous of the medical profession, most resistant strains come about from untargeted use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Antibiotics have lead to years of lazy diagnosis when it comes to infections. Not that I blame Drs, they have to weigh up the cost in time money and suffering to do a thorough diagnosis with the quick fix that most antibiotics provide.

Edited by MilnerR on Monday 26th March 23:29

[Jasandjules]

There are alternatives to modern medicine/drugs...Some might work, some might not..