The battle vs. the superbugs
Superbugs or antibiotic-resistant pathogens have already been in existence many years back. British physician Lindsey Batten and penicillin discoverer Alexander Fleming have even prophesied about it more than half a century ago.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a growing global challenge that seriously undermines public healthcare. It unnecessarily prolongs infections, leading to increase in deaths. AMR also inflates healthcare costs, which is a heavy burden for resource-limited countries such as the Philippines.
To address the serious healthcare problem caused by AMR, the government has signed an Administrative Order to combat AMR in the country. For its part, the Department of Health (DOH) rolled out the Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) program through the Philippine Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance: One Health Approach, which it spearheaded through the Inter-Agency Committee on AMR (ICAMR).
The AMS program is targeted to bring the strategic framework and advocacy to fight antimicrobial resistance closer to healthcare professionals and the general public.
Early this year, AMR was once again highlighted as a serious threat when it was observed on the severe burn victims in the Cavite factory fire. Three victims who suffered 70 to 80-percent burn in the body were infected with Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, one of the pathogenic bacteria listed by WHO as highly-resistant to most types of antibiotics.
Dr. Loreta Z. De Jesus, internal medicine and infectious diseases practitioner, recounts, “We already administered a wide range of drugs, even the expensive and potent brands. Some managed to work temporarily, but the pathogens eventually developed resistance.”
Ceftolozane-tazobactam, a new drug initially indicated for treatment of complicated urinary tract and complicated intraabdominal infections, was given as a last resort. The patients responded favorably and were discharged eventually.
WHO has been urging research and development teams to create new antibiotics to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. It published a list of bacteria for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. According to its news release, “These bacteria have built-in abilities to find new ways to resist treatment and can pass along genetic material that allows other bacteria to become drugresistant as well.”
The list is classified into three priority groups, from critical to high and medium. The critical priority class is commonly present in healthcare facilities and the culprit behind severe bloodstream infections and pneumonia. Pseudomonas, along with various Enterobacteriaceae (like the common E.coli) are included in the critical list of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
In the local arena, DOH pinpointed effective collaboration among various stakeholders as keys to success in handling AMR in the country.
Dr. De Jesus affirms that the industry badly needs fresh treatment options to address the problem of antimicrobial resistance.