By Andrew M Colman, University of Leicester This article was originally published by The Conversation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ An 85-year-old woman with dementia is admitted to hospital with worsening confusion, new urinary incontinence and constipation. These symptoms suggest a urinary tract infection, but the doctor treating her has a dilemma because the symptoms also suggest her dementia […]
antibiotic resistance
#HealthForAll: Why India lacks access to healthcare
Here is another example of the crumbling state of India’s healthcare infrastructure and the reason behind lack of access to essential, life-saving drugs. India has a shortage of an estimated 600,000 doctors and two million nurses, claims a study conducted by the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP), titled “Access Barriers to Antibiotics.” […]
Cefiderocol: The latest miracle drug?
Recent reports have surfaced of a new “super antibiotic” being developed by Japanese pharma company Shionogi. The term super antibiotic is problematic. At best, it could simply be wishful thinking. At worst, it could be a dangerous exaggeration in a world where antibiotic resistance is a looming threat to public health. Is appropriate language being […]
Poultry farms: Adding to the drug resistance epidemic?
Are India’s poultry farms worsening the antibiotic resistance crisis in India? In the expert opinion of Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Washington DC and New Delhi, this is certainly the case. According to Laxminarayan, the majority of the poultry feed used in India is medicated with antibiotics, used […]
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis to spike in India
Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is to spike in India over the next twenty years, predicts a recent study published in The Lancet. The news puts the World Health Organization’s End TB strategy at risk of failure. It also jeopardises the pledge of the Indian government to end TB in the country by 2025. Unless […]
New antibiotic guidelines to focus on antibiotic resistance
Most Indian hospitals do not have any guidelines on antibiotic prescribing, according at a senior ICMR official, but that is about to change. New guidelines regarding the prescription of antibiotic medications have been issued to a number of hospitals in India. These guidelines, issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) aim to stem the […]