Back when I was in middle school, I remember learning about the difference between renewable resources and non-renewable ones. Some things would always be there, like sunshine. Others, like coal or petroleum, would eventually run out someday. And some, like clean air or water, would require responsible management in order to stay renewable.
Most people probably don’t think about medications in those terms. Medications are manufactured, after all, so we don’t really put them into the same category as oxygen or natural gas. But it turns out that there’s more in common between certain kinds of medication and clean water than you might think.
Specifically, it’s important to remember how precious effective antibiotics are. It was only a few generations ago that medical providers had to treat infections as best they could without them, and illnesses that we can cure today were commonly fatal before penicillin and other antibiotics came into use. The pneumonia that we treat with confidence today would have been much more dire less than a hundred years ago.
Unfortunately, as a new report from the World Health Organization makes frighteningly clear, resistance to these marvels of modern medicine is a growing worldwide health problem. Overuse in both medicine and farming has led to bacteria that can resist powerful antibiotics, in some cases even the ones chosen as a last resort. A world where antibiotics no longer work is a possibility that must be faced today to prevent if from becoming a reality tomorrow.
There are many things that must be done to keep these lifesaving medications effective. One is a change in how farm animals are treated with them. Another is increased research into new types of antibiotics. Vaccines play a role, preventing some illnesses that would otherwise need powerful antibiotics to cure.
And being careful with how we prescribe these medications is vitally important.
Taking care of a sick child can be both scary and frustrating. It is only natural to want our kids to get better as soon as possible. When my own children are sick, I feel the exact same way. It can feel all the more frustrating when there is little to do but wait for our kids to get better with time.
Unfortunately, so often that is the only possible option. Many, many illnesses are caused by viruses, which will not improve with antibiotic treatment and simply must clear as the immune system does its work. Giving antibiotics in those cases will do no good, and will only increase the potential for side effects. And of course, useless prescriptions for antibiotics are one of the major reasons they aren’t working as well as they should.
If you come in with your child for a visit, if we don’t end up prescribing anything please understand that we are making that decision because we don’t think such a prescription will help. As medical providers, we have a responsibility to keep the precious resource of effective antibiotics as renewable as we can for as long as we can. As this new report makes clear, we owe it to our patients now and our patients to come to be as prudent as possible, even if it means we have little to offer but reassurance.
Dr. Summers