What about antibiotics?
Antimicrobial resistance
Key facts
Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to:
- Global health
- Food security
- Advancing modern medicine
- It can affect anyone, of any age, in any country
- Numerous cases of antimicrobial resistance in humans have been traced to resistant microbes suspected of originating in livestock
Resistant microorganisms are a major concern because a resistant infection may kill, can spread to others, and imposes huge costs to individuals and society
Resistant microbes are more difficult to treat, requiring alternative medications or higher doses of antimicrobials. These approaches may be more expensive, less well tolerated or even both
Antimicrobials in UTIs
- In the case of UTIs, only a few antibiotics are indicated
- Resistance rates, lack of efficacy and potential side effects further limit the antibiotic armamentarium
- Resistance complicates future UTI treatment and increases the disease burden in the community setting
Continuous antibiotic prophylaxis of UTIs may increase the emergence of resistant uropathogens
Antibiotic use for rUTIs needs to be considered carefully and appropriately; it should be prevented in order to spare antimicrobials for future generations, always consult your
doctor before any antibiotic
intake. RECAP
Antimicrobials and microbiota
Until recently it was thought that a healthy urinary tract is sterile, however studies have shown that commensal ‘good’ bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Prevotella and Gardnerella can all be isolated in urine.
- Antibiotics may cause disturbances in the healthy microbiota thus affecting its natural balance
- Without the beneficial microbiota, the urogenital tract may be changed into a dysbiotic, sensitised state, at increased risk of colonisation by uropathogens
Antimicrobial stewardship
- Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated program that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials, aimed at reducing resistance and the spreading of multidrug resistant bacteria, improving patient outcomes, and sparing antibiotics themselves
- Therefore, antibiotic consumption should be limited, controlled and responsible
- Increasing antimicrobial resistance, lack of therapeutic efficacy and side effects has raised the need for non-antimicrobial prophylaxis for recurrent cystitis RECAP
Inappropriate prescription / consumption of antibiotics should be discouraged.
Antibiotic sparing can help combat rising antibiotic resistance.Stepwise prophylactic strategies may reduce antibiotic resistance
Talk about cystitis prevention with your doctor!
RECAP = Where a claim is followed by the RECAP, this means that this claim is endorsed by the RECAP board of experts.
