KGMU event: Use antibiotics only for specific medical conditions: Docs

Speaking at the event, Professor Ashok Ratan, former professor, AIIMS, New Delhi, said, “Antibiotics are important but its irrational use could leave us with little or no option... Bacteria become resistant with increased consumption of antibiotics.”

LUCKNOW Irrational use of antibiotics may cause bacteria in the body to develop resistance to them, said doctors while speaking at the first foundation day oration of King George’s Medical University’s microbiology department on Sunday. The topic of the oration was “Tackling the invisible pandemic before it becomes the invincible pandemic”.

The topic of the oration was “Tackling the invisible pandemic before it becomes the invincible pandemic”. (HT Photo)

Speaking at the event, Professor Ashok Ratan, former professor, AIIMS, New Delhi, said, “Antibiotics are important but its irrational use could leave us with little or no option... Bacteria become resistant with increased consumption of antibiotics.”

In a similar vein, Dr Sheetal Verma, the organising secretary of the event, said, “Antibiotic use needs to be guided particularly among patients. Irrational use, including self-medication, will develop resistance leaving less option to be used in the future. In fact, antibiotic is to be used only in specific medical condition and after evaluation by a medical practitioner. This helps in speedy recovery too and avoids unwarranted resistance in the human body.”

According to the statistics, about 30% of the total antibiotic consumption is among humans while the remaining 70% goes into animal feed for growth purposes, and ironically this antibiotic comes to humans who eat these animals as food, said doctors.

Explaining how food makes resistant bacteria travel to humans, Professor Ratan said, “The sensitive bacteria will die but resistant will remain and can possibly travel to humans as food. About 33% of patients receive a longer duration of treatment than required.”