A recent study found that an important barrier to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is the increasing resistance to current antibiotics and a shrinking medication supply. This study, published in the journal “Lancet Regional Health: Southeast Asia”, analyzed six years of data from 21 tertiary care centers in the Indian Council of Medical Research's AMR Surveillance Network (IAMRSN). The research, conducted by the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi and ICMR, highlights emerging trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bloodstream infections (BSIs) across India.
Antimicrobial resistance has escalated to pandemic levels, posing a significant global health threat. This study examined the patterns and trends of AMR in BSIs across India to inform better surveillance and intervention strategies. The study utilized retrospective data from the IAMRSN, which was established in 2013. The medications imipenem and meropenem, which are used to treat infections caused by Klebsiella, E. coli, have been found to induce notable monthly increases in resistance. coli, and Acinetobacter.
Resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotic carbapenem in hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSIs) preceded that in community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) for infections caused by Klebsiella and Acinetobacter. E. coli and Klebsiella isolates have become highly resistant to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, with additional resistance to carbapenems noted in Klebsiella.
The study underscores the urgency of the escalating AMR crisis, highlighting its implications for broader development goals. With an expected 4.95 million fatalities from AMR in 2019 and estimates of up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050, AMR poses a global health tragedy. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are particularly vulnerable to AMR due to high rates of infectious diseases, increased antibiotic use, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the absence of suitable measures, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has the potential to compromise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and push millions of people into extreme poverty by 2030. With rising resistance to important and last-resort antibiotics, India is one of the worst-affected countries.
Researchers emphasize the necessity of immediate and targeted interventions. These include further research, increased funding, and the formulation of effective local policies for AMR containment. The findings of the research urge improved surveillance and specialized measures to combat India's developing antimicrobial resistance.
The public's health and development objectives are seriously threatened by the rising resistance to current antibiotics combined with the declining supply of newer medications. The study published in “Lancet Regional Health: Southeast Asia” provides a detailed analysis of six years of data from 21 tertiary care centers in the IAMRSN, offering critical insights into the patterns and trends of AMR in bloodstream infections in India.
This significant research, conducted by the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi and ICMR, highlights the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address the AMR emergency. The findings reveal substantial monthly increases in resistance to key antibiotics, posing a challenge to treating infections caused by common bacteria such as Klebsiella, E. coli, and Acinetobacter. When it comes to carbapenem resistance in particular, the resistance patterns seen in hospital-acquired infections are more advanced than those in community-acquired infections.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)
